Easy Cheesy Baked Ziti

Kim here...Here is an easy weeknight meal you could put together in less that 15 minutes. Good too! It also happens to be my son's favorite. He usually will eat most things, as long as they are mashed :), but this one he actually gets really excited about! He will start pumping his arms up and down after taking the first bite and open his mouth wide open in anticipation for the next one. See feeding tip below.

Easy Cheesy Baked Ziti

3/4 box of ziti noodles, cooked and drained
1 jar of marinara sauce (I like Golden Grain)
1 bag of shredded mozzarella (2-4 cups worth depending on how cheesy you want it!)
1 pound ground beef

1. Boil water for noodles and cook according to directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Put beef in large pan. Start crumbling and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until there is no more pink.
3. Drain fat, then add marinara sauce. Stir and simmer for a few minutes more.
4. Mix in pasta noodles and cheese into the same pan as your beef sauce. Reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top of the casserole. Dump mixture into a 13x9 pan, spread evenly. Top with remaining cheese.
5. Place into preheated 350 degree oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Cheese on top will be nice and melty!

*Feeding Note*
To puree this meal, simply place into a food processor. Sometimes the cheese makes it very sticky and clumpy, if this is the case add a little more marinara sauce if you have extra, or water, or chicken broth, or beef broth. Just add enough to get the consistency you want. The broths will give more flavor to the meal than water. The good thing is even if you use a little of the broth can it will keep in the refrigerator for about a week so you could use if for many more meals.

To mash this meal, simply place into food processor and give it a couple of whirls.