Spaghetti Casserole

Everyone loves spaghetti. It is one of those meals that can be made quickly, tastes amazing, and the whole family enjoys it.

But what about taking it to the next level with Spaghetti Casserole?!

A baked spaghetti casserole takes your favorite spaghetti and adds an amazing cream cheese layer underneath the meat sauce which melts and creates such a delicious casserole. It is one of those dishes that gets requested by name from the kiddos and takes less than an hour from start to finish.

Have you heard of million dollar spaghetti? That is where the title comes from.

I have seen this recipe online titled million dollar spaghetti a few times. This casserole is pretty much the same idea.

I love casseroles. They are amazing to make ahead of time, crowd pleasers, and usually make great leftovers.

This spaghetti casserole is all of those things.

Ingredient Breakdown

When making this recipe there are a couple ingredients that I would suggest:

Spaghetti. You will need a pound of spaghetti.

Use regular, either thin or thick, not angel hair. Angel hair will likely get a little too mushy after baking.

Make sure you do not fully cook your pasta. Cook it to just before al dente because it will continue to cook as it is in the oven.

Ground beef. You can definitely use another meat if you would like (like sausage), but I like to use 80/20 ground beef because 90/10 tends to be a little on the dryer side.

Also, after browning your meat I would suggest draining off some but not all of the fat because you do not want your meat sauce to be greasy either.

Spaghetti sauce. You will be using 24 ounces of spaghetti/marinara sauce in this recipe.

My favorite is Rao’s because it has no added sugar, but use whatever brand you prefer. Make sure it is not super runny/watery or too acidic because those characteristics will be amplified once you bake it.

Cream cheese. Make sure to use softened cream cheese so it blends in well with the pasta.

If it is cold and hard, it will stay cold and hard.

See the printable recipe below for the rest of the ingredients.

Use full-fat cream cheese from a block. The kind that’s in a tub to spread will not work.

Also, I’d recommend using full-fat sour cream, though light will work, as the full-fat sour cream gives a thicker layer of cream cheese and a little goes a long way.

How to Make Spaghetti Casserole

Step 1: Cook the pasta.

Add spaghetti to a large pot of boiling, salted water. Boil to 1 minute less than al dente.

Drain, set aside. It’ll continue cooking as it bakes.

Step 2: Prepare the meat sauce.

Cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until browned, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain fat/liquid.

Add pasta sauce to skillet along with about 1 tsp Italian seasoning, or to taste, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Mix well, add salt/pepper to taste.

Let it simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Give it a taste.

Should be super flavorful and smell amazing. Set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the cream cheese layer.

Stir the softened cream cheese and sour cream together with a spoon until smooth and lump-free. Add drained spaghetti and toss to coat.

If you did not soften the cream cheese completely, it will have large white lumps throughout the noodle mixture. It will take more stirring to incorporate everything together.

It’s ready when it is glossy and completely coated with no white or yellow streaks.

Step 4: Assemble the layers for the casserole.

Spread the cream cheese spaghetti and smooth it along the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Slice the butter and distribute the butter evenly on top of the spaghetti.

Add meat sauce and distribute it evenly, right to the edges of the dish. Top with shredded mozzarella and distribute it evenly.

Shredded cheese note: If you shred your own, it’ll melt more evenly. Bagged shredded mozzarella has something on it to prevent clumping, which keeps it from melting as smoothly.

It will still be fine, just make sure to use plenty.

Step 5: Covered baking.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the dish is bubbling around the edges, steaming, and the cheese has melted.

Step 6: Uncover the cheese and let it brown.

Remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake for another 10 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and has browned. If the cheese has not browned much, you can put it under a LOW broiler for 2-3 minutes, checking it often so it does not burn.

Remove from oven and let casserole sit for 5-10 minutes to allow to set before cutting.

Make-Ahead and Freezer Instructions

If making ahead, assemble entire dish, cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Allow dish to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, cover, and bake for 40-45 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for another 10 minutes.

To freeze: You can freeze before baking or after. If freezing before baking, assemble entire dish, wrap with aluminum foil, and freeze.

Will keep up to 3 months. Remove from freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as instructed above.

If freezing after cooking, can freeze entire dish or divide into individual servings. To reheat: Keep aluminum foil on dish and bake in a 325°F oven until heated through.

Remove from freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Label the container(s) with the date and directions for baking. Future-you will be grateful.

Tips and variations

To make this recipe vegetarian, leave out the meat and add 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes, drained, and about 1 cup of sauteed mushrooms to the jarred sauce. Make sure to add more salt and seasoning as the sauce does not have the heartiness it has with the addition of the meat.

The cream cheese is what will give it some heft.

I love mozzarella as it’s a melting cheese but provolone would work well too. Provolone is a little sharper in taste.

You can mix cheeses for a deeper flavor. A mixture of parmesan and mozzarella gives it a nice salty and browned topping.

Cheddar does not melt as smoothly and gets a little grainy so I would avoid sharp cheddar.

Serving Suggestions

This dish is quite rich, so an acidic side such as a simple Italian dressing salad goes well with it. If you’re looking for a veggie side and trying to get your kids to eat veggies, steamed broccoli and garlic bread, or roasted green beans are easy and delicious options.

Storage and Reheating

You can store the casserole, either in its original baking dish or transferred to airtight containers, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can reheat the entire casserole by covering with aluminum foil and baking for about 20 minutes at 325°F.

Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave. Cover the plate or container and heat in 90 second increments, stirring between heats.

If the casserole seems a bit on the dry side after storing, add a splash of water before reheating.

This casserole tastes even better after chilling overnight. The cream cheese layer sets up quite firmly after chilling and slices very nicely.

As a tip, this is a great make ahead dish for a pot luck. Bake the casserole, wrap tightly in aluminum foil and take to your destination.

It will stay hot for 30-40 minutes and travels very well. It’s a plus to not have to take all of the ingredients with you and hope to find an oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different pasta?

I would stick with a long and thin pasta for this recipe. Fettuccine would be ok, but does not lay down as well as spaghetti.

Penne and other shorter pastas do not hold the cream cheese layer well and angel hair gets a bit too mushy as it’s so thin. You could try linguine if you like that better than spaghetti.

Can I use ricotta instead of cream cheese?

Yes, you can use ricotta cheese in place of the cream cheese. This dish will not taste like classic baked spaghetti anymore, it will be more of a baked ziti.

If you want to use ricotta I would use whole milk ricotta and I would suggest adding an extra egg, beaten, but that’s an option. The egg helps bind everything together.

Why is my casserole watery?

This is usually an indication that the pasta hasn’t been properly drained. Make sure to drain the pasta, give it a shake in the colander, and then allow to stand for a minute to make sure it’s well-drained.

Another possible cause is wet jar sauce, especially if the recipe calls for meat, consider adding the meat to the sauce and simmering on the stove top for a few minutes before adding to the pasta. This will help to cook out excess liquid.

Can I prepare this recipe ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake?

Yes, this dish can be assembled and refrigerated (uncooked) for up to 24 hours. Refrigerating any longer than that will make the pasta turn out a bit on the gummy side.

Can I make ahead and freeze?

Yes, this freezes well cooked or uncooked. I find that it freezes a little better uncooked, as it holds onto its texture better that way.

Defrost in refrigerator before baking, because baking from a frozen state results in an item that is cooked on the outside, still frozen/cold on the inside.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes, this recipe can easily be doubled. It would make enough to fill 2 9×13 dishes.

They will easily fit in your oven and cook at the same time. Try not to use a dish that is very deep, as items will cook better in a dish of normal depth.

Baking in a dish that is too deep results in an item that has a cooked/browned top while the center is not heated through.

Can I use a different meat?

Absolutely. Try using a pound of Italian sausage removed from casings instead of ground beef, since I find this to be very savory and tasty!

Do be sure to drain well as sausage tends to release more grease during cooking than ground beef. You could also do a mixture of ½ pound each ground beef and ground Italian Sausage.

This would give the best of both worlds.

What else can I do to amp up the flavor?

Use a spicy jar sauce…

Try a mild or hot Italian sausage…

Looking for an easy comfort food recipe?

Look no further than this delicious and easy spaghetti casserole recipe. This casserole is so good that you’ll be making it over and over.

More Recipes You’ll Love:

• Crockpot Lasagna: All the flavor of lasagna with none of the fuss. This is a recipe that will please a crowd.
• Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos: Such an easy taco recipe that’s guaranteed to please the whole family.
• Crockpot Beef Barley Soup: Hearty and filling, this soup tastes even better the next day.