READY IN ABOUT 2½ hrs

Fanny's Italian Casserole

Read Reviews (7)

"To my family, this is known as 'Fannie's Junk,' named after my great-aunt who gave this recipe to my mom over 30 years ago. This is comfort food at its best, and an old family favorite. Serve with salad and crusty bread. " — oscar'smom

Directions

Place the hamburger into a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the meat until no longer pink, breaking the meat up into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onion and continue to cook and stir until the onion is translucent, about 5 more minutes. Drain grease from the pan, and stir in the 2 jars of sauce, basil, bay leaf, oregano, and celery salt. Reduce heat, and simmer the sauce for 1 hour. Remove from heat.
About 15 minutes before the sauce is finished simmering, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Whisk together the mushroom soup and water in a bowl until smooth.
Layer 1/3 of the meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and spread half of the cooked macaroni over the sauce. Spoon half the soup mixture over the macaroni, and spread 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers with 1/3 of the remaining sauce, the remaining pasta, the remaining soup mix, and 1 more cup of Cheddar cheese. Spread the last third of the meat sauce over the casserole, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Cheddar cheese. Spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and cover the dish with the foil.
Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until the cheese topping is browned and the casserole is bubbling, about 15 more minutes.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 30 mins
COOK 1 hr 55 mins
READY IN 2 hrs 25 mins

Footnotes

Cook's Note
Substitute milk for 1/2 cup of water if you prefer.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

May 18, 2010

Very good. Makes a lot. Next time I make it I might put some garlic in. Yummy

—WDOREY

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

May 21, 2010

Not great...do yourself a favor and make your own tomato sauce with a good recipe such as Mariana.

—Chris in Montreal

See full review »

9 Ratings

Jun 01, 2010

Please try this. Yes, I'm the author and no it's not gourmet, but for moms on the go, it works. On the weekends, I would make my own spagehetti sauce, but we don't always have the luxury. Definitely add in the garlic, I usually do two crushed.

—oscar'smom

See full review »

Mar 08, 2011

Great weekday meal... Added con queso ( Jacked up Chhese dip / Sauce ) instead of water to the soup mixture.. was very good. Will make again.

—MIKE

See full review »

Jun 21, 2010

I had an interesting taste. I didn't have all that time to wait for the sauce (1 hour.) Just took too much time over all.

—Rachel

See full review »

Feb 10, 2013

I used wheat penna pasta and it was still very good. My family loved it. Easy to make.

—Dottie Worthington

See full review »

Apr 24, 2012

My kids loved this!! Easy to make and makes a lot. My daughter and her friend went back for 2nds. I might add the cheese like the other poster stated next time.

—Dyoungwolf

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Cheesy Italian Meatball Casserole

Manicotti Italian Casserole

Italian Casserole

Italian Meatball Sandwich Casserole

Spicy Italian Sausage and Lentil Casserole

Italian One Step Casserole

Michele's Ground Beef Casserole

Kid's Favorite Pizza Casserole

Zippy Beef Casserole

Tater Tot Taco Casserole

Nutrition

Calories
431 kcal
22%

Carbohydrates
48 g
15%

Cholesterol
45 mg
15%

Fat
17.8 g
27%

Fiber
4.3 g
17%

Protein
19 g
38%

Sodium
898 mg
36%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Fanny's Italian Casserole

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 431
Calories from Fat: 160

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17.8g 27 %
** Saturated Fat 8.1g 40 %
Cholesterol 45mg 15 %
Sodium 898mg 36 %
Potassium 638mg 18 %
Total Carbohydrates 48g 15 %
Dietary Fiber 4.3g 17 %
Protein 19g 38 %
** Sugars 13.2g
Vitamin A 19 %
Vitamin C 3 %
Calcium 27 %
Iron 32 %
** Thiamin 41 %
** Niacin 60 %
** Vitamin B6 9 %
** Magnesium 12 %
** Folate 54 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.