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Discover the ultimate comfort food – Spaghetti Casserole – made with layers of saucy pasta, creamy cheese, and savory meat sauce.
I have to be completely honest – I don’t like baked pastas. Pasta is my favorite food, but I usually find that baking it makes it dry and hard. I would always rather have pasta fresh….that is, UNTIL I made this recipe. This Spaghetti Casserole, also known as Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole, is a game changer. The sauce and the meat are so flavorful and the pasta does NOT come out dry! Trust me, your whole family is going to love this delicious comfort food dish.
Ingredients in Spaghetti Casserole
- Spaghetti Noodles – even though this is called spaghetti casserole, you can use other noodle shapes if you have them on hand!
- Spaghetti Sauce – use your favorite brand or use a homemade recipe like our Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
- Ground Beef – normally we use lean ground beef so the sauce isn’t too oily
- Italian Sausage – use mild or hot depending on your family’s preference
- Yellow Onion & Garlic – this dynamic flavor duo enhances the flavor of the meat sauce
- Cream Cheese, Ricotta & Sour Cream – these creamy elements are what make this spaghetti casserole shine!
- Egg – the egg acts as a binder to bring the cheese mixture together
- Italian Seasoning, Salt, and Pepper – add these spices into the cheese mixture to enhance the flavor
- Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan Cheese – this is the perfect combo for this recipe because mozzarella melts beautifully and parmesan brings that punch of flavor
- Optional: fresh basil or Italian parsley for garnish
Substitutions and Variations
- Use ground turkey instead of beef.
- Omit the beef and pork and use breaded chicken instead for a Chicken Spaghetti Casserole.
- Omit all meat and add extra veggies like red and green bell pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini for a Veggie Pasta Bake.
- Use chicken instead of beef and pork and replace the spaghetti sauce with your favorite Alfredo sauce for a Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake.
- Use cottage cheese instead of ricotta if desired.
- Add marinara sauce or vodka sauce instead of spaghetti sauce.
- Use sharp cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella.
How to Make Spaghetti Casserole
- First, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and then combine with 24 ounces of spaghetti sauce. Set aside.
- Next, prepare the meat sauce. Saute the garlic and onions and then brown the beef and sausage. Combine the meat with the remaining spaghetti sauce.
- Now for my favorite part – the cheese mixture. Combine ricotta, sour cream, cream cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer for best results.
- Time for layers! The layers go in this order: ½ of the pasta, all of the cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese, the rest of the pasta, the meat sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes. The cheese and sauce should be hot and bubbly.
Storing and Freezing
Store any leftover baked Spaghetti Casserole in an airtight container in the fridge. I have a few casserole dishes that come with lids for super easy storage. I also make this casserole ahead of time and freeze it. It stays good in the freezer for up to three months. I assemble the casserole as the recipe outlines and then instead of baking, I cover it tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. When ready to bake, I let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake normally. You can also bake from frozen, but you will need to add an extra hour of cooking time.
What to Serve with Spaghetti Casserole
This dish is great as a meal on its own. However, if you are feeding a crowd and want to make it stretch, or if you just want to round out the meal we have some great options. Serve this dish with a steamed veggie like broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, or asparagus. Or, serve it with a salad like a garden salad or Caesar salad. You can also serve up some garlic bread on the side. We have some great garlic bread recipes include our Loaded Cheesy Garlic Bread, Quick Garlic Bread, and Hot and Cheesy Garlic Bread.
Questions About Spaghetti Casserole
Yes, for the full guide to freezing, see our guide above for freezing and baking spaghetti casserole. However the basic gist is you make up the casserole but freeze it before baking.
Aluminum foil! Baking the casserole covered with foil allows the middle to cook evenly and the top to not get too crunchy.
The best way to make your pasta POP is to cook it in a large pot of SALTED water. A good rule of thumb is 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt per pound of pasta.
Yes, you can omit the sausage and use all ground beef instead. You can also use ground turkey if you’d like!
Read Next: 35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love
More Casserole Recipes
- Eggs Benedict Casserole
- Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole
- Enchilada Casserole
- Chicken Rice and Broccoli Casserole
- Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
- Chili Frito Casserole
- Easy Lasagna Casserole
- Big Mac Casserole
Spaghetti Casserole
Video
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
- 48 ounces spaghetti sauce divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- basil for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and combine with 24 ounces of spaghetti sauce. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent and soft. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add beef and sausage and break them up into small pieces. Cook until meat is browned through. Add 24 ounces of spaghetti sauce and stir to combine.
- In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, combine ricotta, sour cream, cream cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Add half of the pasta and then all of the cream cheese mixture.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella over the cheese mixture. Then add the rest of the pasta, then the meat sauce, then the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
Notes
- Use your favorite brand of spaghetti sauce, or use our recipe for Homemade Spaghetti Sauce.
- You can use different pasta shapes if you don’t want to use spaghetti noodles.
- When reheating leftovers, add a little extra spaghetti sauce to keep it from drying out.
It was wonderful. I will make it again! Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Have not tried to make yet but will be trying soon. Could you substitute Cottage Cheese for Ricotta?
You could but it would not have as good of consistency and flavor.
Made it tonight for me and my husband! It was delicious! We’re definitely having it again!
I’m anxious to fix – sounds delicious
I am not a fan of sausage. Could you omit sausage and just use more beef?
Yes!
Little bit labor intensive but delicious!
I made it 1000 times people want more of it I do them in occasion and party to I am going to do more of it and selling it to people who don’t have food or house
Sweet
I would love to try this recipe but there does not seem to be a way to print it. If someone could le me know how without having to copy and paste I would love to try it and many more.
Brenda D—
There is a print button in the recipe card! Under the heading “How to Make Spaghetti Casserole”.