I ended up making this baked ziti:

https://www.seriouseats.com/food-lab-no-boil-baked-ziti-recipe

I used milk instead of heavy cream with the ricotta. It was delicious. Thank you all for the ideas, I’ll have to give them a try!

If you want to make something comforting with cheese, pastitsio is another delicious option.

Zucchini boats

https://www.spendwithpennies.com/saucy-stuffed-zucchini/

Stuffed peppers

https://www.wellplated.com/italian-stuffed-peppers/

Skip the noodles and bake it layered with eggplant or zucchini and besciamella 😘😘

Second manicotti. Mmmm.

An extra comforting casserole (creamy, cheesy, carby) is sour cream noodle bake. There are a million variations, but here’s the general idea:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sour-cream-noodle-bake0-2145182

Manicotti
Stuffed Shells
Stuffed Peppers Casserole - https://littlesunnykitchen.com/stuffed-pepper-casserole/

I do baked ziti with ground beef mixed in.

But you can also make a bunch of meatballs and flex to other dishes.
(Meatball subs are always a hit in my house)

I have ground beef and I want to make something Italian and baked and comforting that’s not lasagna. Hopefully with cheese. Any favorite recipes? Thanks!