Million Dollar Spaghetti
Million Dollar Spaghetti casserole is everything you want in a weeknight dinner. Quick to make, full of fantastic flavor, and the cheesy pasta layers bring everyone to the table immediately. It’s good enough to make for special occasions as well as weeknight dinners. No matter when you make it, just can’t miss with this recipe!
This casserole features layers a rich meat sauce, a creamy cheese filling, melt-y mozzarella, and spaghetti noodles. Million Dollar Spaghetti comes out of the oven bubbly and golden every single time. I make this when I want something that feeds a crowd without a lot of fuss.
If You Don’t Have Time For Homemade
I know some of you are standing in your kitchen right now wondering if you have time to make this dish. I get it, time is a premium. You can absolutely swap the cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese mixture for a jar of alfredo sauce, it works! And in the long run that’s what matters.
This recipe is supposed to make your life easier, not harder. So if a jar of alfredo sauce gets hot meal on the table tonight, then that is exactly the right way to make it. Conversely if you don’t have marinara sauce make your own tomato sauce at home. Use what you have, as always. Just make sure the amount of sauce is about 24 ounces of sauce so the casserole stays together.
Food is for everyone, in whatever way you can get it done!
Ingredients for Million Dollar Spaghetti
Besides the dairy in this recipe everything else is basically what you need for regular spaghetti. So why not amp up spaghetti night and make it million dollar spaghetti night.
- Spaghetti noodles
- Ground beef
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Marinara sauce
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cream cheese
- Cottage cheese OR Ricotta Cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Butter
Making Substitutions
Ricotta cheese works in place of cottage cheese if that’s what you have on hand or if you prefer the texture. Cottage cheese and ricotta are close enough that you can swap one for the other in almost any recipe without worrying too much about it!
Both are fresh cheeses made from curdled milk, and they bring the same soft texture and mild flavor to a dish. The biggest difference is that cottage cheese is a little tangier and holds more moisture in its curds, while ricotta is smoother and a bit richer since it’s made from the whey left over after other cheesemaking. But once you blend either one into the filling, especially with the sour cream and cream cheese mixed in, the difference basically disappears.
Italian sausage can stand in for some or all of the ground beef if you want a little more flavor in the meat layer. You could also heat up premade meatballs and use them instead of ground beef if you like.
You can also assemble the whole thing ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it, which makes this an easy one to prep the day before you need it.
Got Leftovers?
You are so lucky! The leftovers make the best lunches or even dinner the next night. Cover the leftovers tightly in the fridge so they don’t dry out. And when you’re reheating the spaghetti it’s a good idea to cover it tightly so it retains it’s moisture.
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti noodles
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 4 tbsp butter sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until just al dente, drain and set aside
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion until the beef is browned and the onion is soft
- Drain any excess grease if needed
- Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds
- Stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
- Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and Parmesan until combined
- Place the butter slices across the bottom of the prepared baking dish
- Add half of the cooked spaghetti noodles
- Spread the creamy cheese mixture over the noodles
- Add the remaining spaghetti noodles on top
- Pour the meat sauce evenly over the spaghetti
- Top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving
Can you please share the recipe for the marinara sauce. Thank you .
I used a jar of marinara sauce. Your favorite spaghetti sauce, homemade or store bought, will work perfectly!