Million Dollar Spaghetti
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Posted: 06/02/24
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Looking for a delicious and budget-friendly dinner option? This million dollar spaghetti recipe features ground beef and gooey cheese for a satisfying meal the whole family will love.
This incredible million dollar spaghetti recipe will knock your socks off! It’s like a cross between lasagna and baked spaghetti, and WOW is it tasty. With a layer of saucy noodles, a second layer of creamy cheese mixture, and a top layer of meat sauce and mozzarella, it’d be hard not to like this casserole.
Once you taste a bite of million dollar spaghetti casserole, you’ll understand the hype. Pasta is just the best comfort food out there, and this creamy and flavorful dish is no exception. If you need a new cheesy pasta casserole to try out, then keep on reading because you are going to love this recipe!
Why You’ll Love Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole
- This is a fabulous make-ahead meal that you can store in the fridge or the freezer. If you’re into meal prep, then this is the dish for you!
- One casserole serves 8 hearty helpings, great for large families. You can make multiple casseroles really easily too to serve a larger party.
- Million dollar baked spaghetti is so easy to make. Even if you’re not much of a confident cook, you can make this dish.
Ingredients for Million Dollar Spaghetti
- Dried spaghetti noodles – Grab a box of your favorite spaghetti noodles to cook up as the base layer for this casserole.
- Yellow onion – If you cannot find yellow onion, white onion would be a good substitution.
- Minced garlic – Freshly minced garlic will add loads of delicious flavor to this dish.
- Olive oil – Use a little olive oil to sauté the onion and minced garlic before adding in the Italian sausage.
- Italian sausage – If you do not want to use ground pork sausage, you could use lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
- Italian seasoning – Add plenty of flavor to this dish with some Italian seasoning.
- Spaghetti sauce – Grab two jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce to use in this hearty million dollar spaghetti casserole.
- Ricotta cheese – You can use cottage cheese in place of ricotta cheese if you prefer.
- Cream cheese – Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature before mixing it with the other ingredients.
- Sour cream – Even if you don’t like sour cream, I really recommend using it in this recipe! It add so much creamy texture and a delicious flavor to the dish that you really need.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – For best results, shred your own mozzarella cheese.
How to Make Million Dollar Spaghetti
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then cook the spaghetti noodles according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot.
Open one jar of prepared spaghetti sauce and mix it into the noodles, then set that aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Then add the onion and minced garlic and cook until they begin to soften. Add the sausage to the pan, along with the Italian seasoning, and then cook until no pink remains.
Turn off the heat and then drain any excess grease that has cooked out of the meat. Add the other jar of spaghetti sauce to the meat and mix it together.
Combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella and Italian seasoning in a medium mixing bowl.
Once all three of these components are complete, then you can begin to build the million dollar spaghetti casserole.
To assemble, spread the pasta mixture into the bottom of the previously prepared baking dish. Then spread the cheese mixture over the pasta, and then add the meat mixture.
Top with the remaining two cups of mozzarella and bake for 25-30 minutes, until heated through and bubbly.
Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!
How to Store Leftover Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole
Place leftovers in an airtight container, or cover the casserole dish tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Allow to cool completely before refrigerating. You can store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat Million Dollar Spaghetti
It is best to reheat this million dollar baked spaghetti in the oven. However, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave if you need to! Just be careful because tomato sauce has a tendency to pop when it heats up. A splattered microwave isn’t fun to clean.
Can you make million dollar spaghetti ahead of time?
Absolutely! This is a great freezer meal, and you can also make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge:
FRIDGE: Prep the whole casserole, but don’t bake it. Make sure to let it cool since the noodles and sauce will be hot, then wrap in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and store in the fridge for a few days. When you’re ready to bake, just pop it in the oven!
FREEZER: Follow the same instructions detailed in the refrigeration steps, then freeze for up to 3 months. Once you are ready to eat this casserole, thaw it in the fridge overnight and then bake the next day. You can also bake from frozen, you’ll just need to add on some cook time!
What to Serve with Million Dollar Spaghetti
This comfort food casserole goes well with all the classic sides. Homemade bread sticks, air fryer cheesy garlic bread or regular garlic bread.
A nice salad or some green beans with bacon would also be a tasty side. Roasted vegetables would be great too!
Pro Tips for the Best Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole
- Add fresh herbs like fresh parsley or oregano to give even more bold flavors to this tasty dish.
- Make sure not to overcook the pasta and just cook to al dente. Since you will bake the pasta after it’s cooked, it could become quite mushy if you over cook it first.
- For best results, use salted water to boil your pasta.
Before serving, add a bit of fresh parsley and maybe even a sprinkle of parmesan cheese! Trust me, it’s the cherry on top. I hope you enjoy!
More Baked Pasta Dishes
- Cheesy Ham Casserole is one of those pasta dishes that you dream about. It’s so delicious!
- Baked Rigatoni is a classic for a reason, and this recipe is a total game changer.
- Make Chicken Spaghetti when you are craving a classic comfort food that is easy to make.
- Baked Ziti is loaded with all the cheesy goodness that you could ever want!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Million Dollar Spaghetti Recipe (With Ground Beef)
Try this delicious and budget-friendly Million Dollar Spaghetti recipe, made with ground beef and a creamy cheese sauce. Perfect for family dinners or potlucks!
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried spaghetti noodles
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pounds Italian sausage
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
- 48 ounces spaghetti sauce (2-24 oz jars), divided
- 1 cup ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to the package, drain well and return pasta to the original pot. Add 1 jar of prepared spaghetti sauce and mix together. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and 2 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning to the skillet, and cook until no pink remains. Turn off heat and drain off extra grease.
- Add the other jar of spaghetti sauce to the skillet and mix together and Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Set aside.
- To assemble the casserole, put the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish and spread evenly across the bottom.
- Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the top of the pasta mixture.
- Spread the meat mixture evenly on top of the cheese mixture.
- Top with remaining 2 cups of mozzarella and bake in the oven until the casserole is heated through and edges are bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.
Tips
Storage Instructions
FRIDGE: Prep the whole casserole, but don’t bake it. Make sure to let it cool since the noodles and sauce will be hot, then wrap in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and store in the fridge for a few days. When you’re ready to bake, just pop it in the oven!
FREEZER: Follow the same instructions detailed in the refrigeration steps, then freeze for up to 3 months. Once you are ready to eat this casserole, thaw it in the fridge overnight and then bake the next day. You can also bake from frozen, you’ll just need to add on some cook time!
How to Reheat: It is best to reheat this million dollar baked spaghetti in the oven. However, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave if you need to! Just be careful because tomato sauce has a tendency to pop when it heats up. A splattered microwave isn’t fun to clean.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 755kcal (38%), Carbohydrates: 58g (19%), Protein: 32g (64%), Fat: 44g (68%), Saturated Fat: 20g (125%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 114mg (38%), Sodium: 1663mg (72%), Potassium: 922mg (26%), Fiber: 5g (21%), Sugar: 11g (12%), Vitamin A: 1496IU (30%), Vitamin C: 15mg (18%), Calcium: 333mg (33%), Iron: 4mg (22%)
Sherry says
I am allergic to sour cream. Can I leave it out or use a substitute?
Julie Evink says
You could leave it out or use cottage cheese.
Elaine says
A fun take on spaghetti that’s easy to make and less messy to eat! Love how cheesy it is!