Ground beef, tender zucchini, tangy sauerkraut, and homemade sauce mix together perfectly with pasta to create my family's favorite hotdish!
Let me give you a brief backstory on this hotdish. This recipe started with my Grandma Riesgraf. Her original recipes included rice instead of pasta and didn’t include sauerkraut. But, my mom, being the adventurous cook that she is, decided to mix the recipe up a bit. She swapped rice for noodles and added sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut is loved in our household, especially by my dad and me. We’ll just dig our forks right in. So, as you can guess, adding sauerkraut to the hotdish was a big hit! Even my Grandma loved my mom’s new twist on her recipe that she started making it with sauerkraut!
And guess what, I added my own twist. You shouldn't be surprised though. Instead of using cream of sauce from a can, I made my very own using beef stock, milk, flour, and seasonings. Simple, tasty and better for you.
And, I know what you’re probably thinking, sauerkraut in hotdish? But, trust me on this one. You won’t be disappointed. If you like sauerkraut, I promise you’ll love this Ground Beef, Zucchini and Sauerkraut Hotdish.
I’m curious, do you have any family favorite recipes with sauerkraut? Comment below and let me know so I can try them!
P.S. When I say that this hotdish makes 8 servings, it really does. And none of those baby size servings either.
If you’re looking for more amazing hotdish recipes, you must make my Kicked Up Tator Tot Hotdish. It's basically tator tot hotdish from scratch because I'm all about the homemade sauce. I’ve been told I make the best.
And, I have an amazing recipe for a breakfast version, and its a must make! Drum roll...Next-Level Cheesy Breakfast Tator Tot Skillet. You'll love it.
Grandma's Ground Beef, Zucchini and Sauerkraut Hotdish
Ingredients
- 12 ounces ziti noodles
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large zucchini
- 2-3 cups sauerkraut
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Homemade Sauce:
- 2 ¾ cups beef stock or broth
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 1 cup flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Cook ziti noodles as directed on package until al dente (they will cook more in the oven).
- Add diced onion and ground beef to a large skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook beef for 7-10 minutes or until no longer pink.
- Prepare zucchini by slicing it in half vertically then cut into thin slices.
Homemade sauce:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and flour until combined.
- Bring beef stock to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly pour milk and flour mixture into the pan, whisking continuously for about 2-3 minutes until sauce is thickened.
To assemble:
- Add noodles, ground beef, zucchini and sauerkraut to a 3 or 4-quart baking dish.
- Pour sauce over hotdish in the baking dish. Using a large spoon, gently fold sauce and ingredients together until combined.
- Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.
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