Million Dollar Spaghetti is a rich, layered spaghetti casserole made with noodles, meat sauce and a creamy cheese mixture. It’s a comfort food dish everyone will love and surprisingly easy to make.
We make spaghetti several times a month in our house and when we want to change things up, this baked spaghetti casserole is our go-to. It’s the perfect alternative to traditional spaghetti and tastes just as amazing, if not better.
This dish truly lives up to the hype and pairs perfectly with a fresh green salad and garlic bread for a hearty meal that feeds the whole family.
If you love this recipe, try my baked ziti and baked ravioli casserole too!
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Million Dollar Spaghetti Ingredients
- Spaghetti: any brand and any long pasta will work also
- Ground Beef: lean, 80/20 or 90/10
- Italian Sausage: bulk sausage
- Marinara Sauce: any brand will work.
- Cream Cheese: softened at room temperature
- Ricotta Cheese: whole fat
- Sour Cream: whole fat
- Shredded Cheeses: mozzarella and parmesan
- Garlic: minced, jarred or fresh garlic
- Onion: sweet, medium, diced
- Italian Seasoning: or a blend of
- Olive Oil: any brand will work
How to Make Million Dollar Spaghetti
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook spaghetti noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain, then stir in one jar of marinara sauce until noodles are coated.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or medium heat. Add diced onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
4. Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the pan and brown until it is no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
5. Stir in the second jar of marinara sauce and ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning. Simmer for a few minutes.
6. In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, cream cheese and the remaining Italian seasoning until smooth.
7. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer half of spaghetti mixture on the bottom.
8. Then spread creamy cheese mixture evenly over the noodles.
9. Add the remaining spaghetti, then meat sauce and top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
10. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
11. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Helpful Tips and Variations
- Go meatless: Skip the meat for an easy vegetarian version.
- Swap ricotta: Use cottage cheese instead.
- Change the pasta: Use other kinds of long pasta such fettucine or linguine.
- Add heat: Use hot Italian sausage.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Wrap tightly or store in freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Reheat in oven at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can prepare this casserole 24 hours in advance up till the baking step, cover and refrigerate. Allow to come to room temperate and bake per directions.
Absolutely! You can use all ground beef or all Italian sausage. Just make sure it equals to 2 pounds.
Recipe
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage
- 2 (24oz.) jars marinara sauce
- 1 (8oz.) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook spaghetti noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain, then stir in one jar of marinara sauce until noodles are coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or medium heat. Add diced onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
- Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the pan and brown until it is no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
- Stir in the second jar of marinara sauce and ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning. Simmer for a few minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, cream cheese and the remaining Italian seasoning until smooth.
- Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer half of spaghetti mixture on the bottom.
- Then spread creamy cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Add the remaining spaghetti, then meat sauce and top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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