Baked Spaghetti Casserole
Baked Spaghetti Casserole is the ultimate comfort dish, layered with tender pasta, rich meat sauce, and plenty of melty cheese. This easy, family‑friendly recipe bakes into a hearty, crowd‑pleasing dinner, and the leftovers are honestly the best part!
Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti
Looking for a “fancy” spaghetti moment to slip between holiday feasts or brighten an ordinary weeknight? Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti is your cozy, over‑the‑top answer.
This spaghetti casserole takes things up a notch because it layers all the cozy, indulgent elements people love about lasagna into a dish that still feels like familiar, comforting spaghetti. It’s that “wait… this is spaghetti?” moment in the best way.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Comfort Food. All that saucy spaghetti gets tucked under a blanket of melty cheese, so every scoop feels extra comforting.
- Crispy Edges. Baking it gives you those irresistible crispy edges that make the whole dish feel special.
- Great make‑ahead meal. Assemble earlier, bake when you’re ready, and dinner’s done.
- Leftovers are the best part. Leftovers reheat beautifully, so you get a second round that’s just as good as the first.
What You’ll Need:
- spaghetti noodles
- meat – ground beef plus Italian sausage
- veggies – onion and garlic
- marinara sauce – you can use store-bought or try our Homemade Marinara Sauce
- cheese – mozzarella, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese
- seasonings – Italian seasoning, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper
- egg
How to make Baked Spaghetti Casserole:
Step 1
Make meat sauce. In a large skillet, add onions, ground beef and sausage – cook and crumble the meat until fully done. Drain of some of the grease (if desired). Add garlic and seasonings (Italian seasoning, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper) and stir for another two minutes.
Stir in all but one cup of the marinara sauce (set that remaining aside for later) and let everything simmer for a few minutes.
Step 2
Combine cheese mixture. In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese mixture – cream cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, and Italian seasoning. Mix well.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy
Step 3
Prepare noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, then drain. Return the hot pasta to the pot and stir in ½ cup of the reserved marinara plus ½ cup of the cheese mixture, coating the noodles well.
Step 4
Assemble casserole. Pour half of the pasta into a 9×13‑inch casserole dish and spread it into an even layer. Add the cheese mixture and smooth it over the noodles, then layer the remaining pasta on top. Spoon the meat sauce over everything, spreading it evenly, and finish with another ½ cup of marinara and the shredded mozzarella.
Step 5
Bake casserole. Bake the casserole, uncovered, at 350°F for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. You can broil for a minute at the end of you want it slightly browned on top.
Step 6
Serve. Let pasta sit for 10-15 minutes, slice, and enjoy.
What to serve with Baked Spaghetti Casserole:
- A big green salad with your choice of homemade dressing – Spinach Salad Dressing, Maple Dijon Dressing, or Creamy Italian Dressing.
- Crusty bread like our Chewy French Bread, Italian Herb Bread, or Italian Focaccia Bread Recipe.
- Some roasted veggies. Try our Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad or Roasted Asparagus with Prosciutto.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes. Assemble it, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time if it’s going into the oven cold.
Yes. The pasta needs to be fully cooked (al dente is best) before it goes into the casserole so it doesn’t turn mushy.
It usually means the pasta absorbed more sauce than expected. Add a little extra marinara or a splash of broth when assembling to keep things saucy.
Too much sauce or not enough cheese can cause this. Also, if you add veggies, cook them down first so they don’t release extra moisture in the oven.
Yes. Stick with marinara and cheese, or add sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or zucchini for extra heartiness.
Yes. Freeze it unbaked for best texture. Thaw overnight, then bake as usual. If freezing leftovers, expect the pasta to soften a bit but still taste great.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Baked Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
For the meat sauce:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion – chopped
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil – or use about 1/4 cup of fresh basil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 24 oz. marinara sauce – we use our homemade marinara recipe
For the cheese layer:
- 8 oz. cream cheese – softened
- 15 oz. full-fat ricotta cheese
- 4 oz. shredded parmesan cheese – freshly shredded
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Make meat sauce. In a large skillet, add onions, ground beef and sausage – cook and crumble the meat until fully done. Drain of some of the grease (if desired). Add garlic and seasonings (Italian seasoning, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper) and stir for another two minutes.Stir in all but one cup of the marinara sauce (set that remaining aside for later) and let everything simmer for a few minutes.1 medium onion, 1 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound Italian sausage, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dried basil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 24 oz. marinara sauce
- Combine cheese mixture. In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese mixture – cream cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, and Italian seasoning. Mix well.8 oz. cream cheese, 15 oz. full-fat ricotta cheese, 4 oz. shredded parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- Prepare noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, then drain. Return the hot pasta to the pot and stir in ½ cup of the reserved marinara plus ½ cup of the cheese mixture, coating the noodles well.1 pound spaghetti, 1/2 cup marinara, 1/2 cup cheese mixture
- Assemble casserole. Pour half of the pasta into a 9×13‑inch casserole dish and spread it into an even layer. Add the cheese mixture and smooth it over the noodles, then layer the remaining pasta on top. Spoon the meat sauce over everything, spreading it evenly, and finish with another ½ cup of marinara and the shredded mozzarella.8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
- Bake casserole. Bake the casserole, uncovered, at 350°F for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. You can broil for a minute at the end of you want it slightly browned on top.
- Serve. Let pasta sit for 10-15 minutes, slice and enjoy.
Notes
- If using our homemade marinara sauce, you won’t need the entire batch. Use the remaining for meatball subs or something similar.
- To make ahead of time, assemble it, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time if it’s going into the oven cold.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in microwave.
- Freeze casserole unbaked for best texture. Thaw overnight, then bake as usual. If freezing leftovers, expect the pasta to soften a bit but still taste great.
This is the real deal – delicious and impressive too!