Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti
Baked spaghetti: master this hearty casserole with rich meat sauce and creamy cheese layers. Perfect for a satisfying family dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry spaghetti
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground spicy Italian sausage
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 3500 F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and toss the pasta with butter.
- Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the sausage, beef, onion, bell peppers, and Italian seasoning. Brown all over for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes, until just slightly thickened. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Remove from the heat.
- In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large casserole dish, layer 1 cup of the meat sauce with the spaghetti, white sauce, and remaining meat sauce. Top with mozzarella, provolone cheese, and the pepperoni. Bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Let sit for 10 minutes. Top with fresh basil, and enjoy!
Notes
- For the meat sauce, ensure the ground beef and Italian sausage are fully browned and crumbled before adding the tomatoes to develop deep flavor.
- Cook the spaghetti al dente. It will finish cooking in the oven, preventing it from becoming mushy.
- If the top cheese starts browning too quickly during baking, cover the dish loosely with foil.
- Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 300°F (150°C) until warmed through, or microwave individual portions. Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated automatically. Values vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes.
- Cook the spaghetti al dente. It will finish cooking in the oven, preventing it from becoming mushy.
- If the top cheese starts browning too quickly during baking, cover the dish loosely with foil.
- Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 300°F (150°C) until warmed through, or microwave individual portions. Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated automatically. Values vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes.