Spaghetti Casserole

Spaghetti Casserole is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for a hearty family dinner. This dish combines tender spaghetti noodles, rich meaty sauce, and plenty of melted cheese for a meal that’s easy to make and always a hit.

Pasta night is always a favorite at our house. We love to serve spaghetti with a green salad, Italian dressing and our easy garlic bread for a weeknight favorite.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Family-Friendly – Even picky eaters will love this cheesy, saucy pasta dish!
• Make-Ahead Friendly – You can prep this in advance and bake when ready.
• Great for Leftovers – Tastes just as good (or even better) the next day.

Ingredients for Spaghetti Casserole

• Spaghetti noodles
• Ground beef – we like lean ground beef for this.
• Kosher Salt
• Pepper
• Spaghetti Sauce – use your favorite jar of sauce – we are using Bertolli Tomato Basil.
• Cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
• Cream cheese or sour cream
• Mozzarella cheese – shredded
• Dried basil or Italian seasoning
• Minced garlic
• Parmesan cheese – finely grated
• Butter – to butter the baking dish
• Parsley or fresh basil for garnish

How to Make Baked Spaghetti Casserole

1. Cook the pasta – Boil spaghetti noodles in a big pot of salted water until al dente, then drain.

2. Prepare the meat sauce – Season ground beef with salt and pepper and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until well browned. Stir in spaghetti sauce and remove from heat.

3. Mix the cheese layer – Use an electric mixer to combine cottage cheese (or ricotta), cream cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, basil, salt and pepper until smooth.
4. Combine with pasta – Mix the cheese mixture with the cooked spaghetti.

4. Assemble the casserole – Butter a baking dish and pour in the spaghetti mixture. Top with the meat sauce.
5. Add cheese topping – Sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella and Parmesan over the top.
6. Bake – Cover with foil, bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking 10 minutes or until bubbly.
7. Serve – Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave or reheat in a covered baking dish at 350°F until heated through.
• Variations: Swap ground beef for Italian sausage or ground turkey or chicken.
• Add sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, onions or spinach for extra veggies.
• Use different cheeses like cheddar cheese or provolone for a unique flavor.
• Make it spicy with red pepper flakes in the sauce.

Spaghetti Casserole is one of those simple, crowd-pleasing meals that brings everyone to the table. Whether you’re making it for a weeknight dinner or prepping ahead for busy days, this dish is sure to be a new family favorite.

If you give this Spaghetti Casserole Recipe a try, let me know how it turns out—leave a comment and rating below!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Spaghetti Casserole

Spaghetti Casserole is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for a hearty family dinner. This dish combines tender spaghetti noodles, rich meaty sauce, and plenty of melted cheese for a meal that’s easy to make and always a hit.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Course: Casseroles

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked spaghetti, cheesy pasta casserole, ground beef casserole

Servings: 6

Calories: 733kcal

Author: Milisa

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided use
• 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper divided use
• 1 pound spaghetti cooked al dente, drained
• 24 ounces spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, divided use
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon butter to butter the casserole dish
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

• Place ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until well browned.
• Stir in spaghetti sauce and remove from heat.
• In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup cottage cheese (or ricotta), 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
• Mix the cheese mixture with the cooked spaghetti.
• Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and pour in the spaghetti mixture. Top with the meat sauce.
• Sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan over the top.
• Cover with foil, bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking 10 minutes or until bubbly.
• Garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave or reheat in a covered baking dish at 350°F until heated through.
• Variations:
• Swap ground beef for Italian sausage or ground turkey or chicken.
• Add sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, onions or spinach for extra veggies.
• Use different cheeses like cheddar cheese or provolone for a unique flavor.
• Make it spicy with red pepper flakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 733kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 1844mg | Potassium: 913mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1416IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 488mg | Iron: 5mg

More Pasta Casseroles You Will Love

• Beef Rigatoni – A cheesy baked pasta with a rich, meaty tomato sauce and loaded with flavor.
• Manicotti – Stuffed pasta shells filled with sausage and ricotta and baked in a delicious marinara sauce.
• Lasagna – The classic pasta casserole that is always a hit and easy to feed a crowd.
• Spaghetti and Meatballs – Is a family favorite and this easy dinner is on the table in 30 minutes.