Million Dollar Spaghetti Recipe

Million Dollar Spaghetti is a spaghetti casserole with layers of noodles, cheese, and homemade meat sauce. It’s budget friendly, easy to make, and a meal the whole family will love.

million dollar spaghetti recipe

Million Dollar Spaghetti

million dollar spaghetti recipe

Million Dollar Spaghetti gets it’s name because that’s how much people love this casserole with layers of noodles, cheese, and homemade meat sauce. It’s budget friendly and a crowd pleaser.

Prep: 30min

Total: 60min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 356 kcal, Carbohydrate 27 g, Protein 18 g, Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 10 g, Cholesterol 62 mg, Sodium 643 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 4 g, Trans Fat 1 g, unSaturated Fat 7 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

  • 16 ounces spaghetti noodles
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage (or pork sausage)
  • salt and pepper (, to taste)
  • 1 small onion (, chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (, minced)
  • 24 ounces marinara sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (, softened)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup cottage cheese ( or ricotta cheese)
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instruction:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Make Meat Sauce: In a large skillet cook and crumble the ground beef and Italian sausage and season with salt and pepper. Remove most of the grease. Add onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes until onion is translucent. Add all but 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce (reserve 1/2 cup for later) to the mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
  3. Prepare noodles: Cook Spaghetti according to package instructions, just until “al dente”. Drain, and place hot spaghetti in a large mixing bowl with butter and 1/2 cup reserved marinara sauce and toss to combine.
  4. Make Cheese layer: Combine cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese in a bowl and mix well. Smooth over noodles in the pan.
  5. Assemble: Pour HALF of the pasta into a 9×13’’ pan. Smooth cheese layer on top. Top with remaining noodles. Add meat sauce on top and smooth into an even layer. Top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Check it around 20 minutes and if the cheese is browning too quickly, tent a piece of tinfoil over it. Wait at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving, to allow it to set up. Enjoy!

Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole

million dollar spaghetti recipe

Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole is an easy hearty casserole that is both budget-friendly and easy to make. This casserole is simple and a delicious way to feed a family or a crowd!

Prep: 40min

Total: 85min

Yield: 12

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 583 kcal, Carbohydrate 32 g, Protein 23 g, Fat 39 g, Saturated Fat 19 g, Cholesterol 109 mg, Sodium 826 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 3 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

  • 16 ounces dried spaghetti noodles
  • 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
  • 4-6 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 ½ pounds sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)
  • 3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (divided)
  • 48 ounces spaghetti sauce (2 jars, divided)
  • 8 ounces cottage cheese ( or ricotta cheese)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 3 cups mozzarella (shredded, divided)
  • ½ cup butter (cut into slices, divided)

Instruction:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package, drain well and return pasta to original pot. Add 1 jar of prepared spaghetti sauce and combine. Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning to skillet, and cook until no pink remains. Drain well. Add 1 jar of spaghetti sauce to skillet. Set aside.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Set aside.
  5. Place half the slices of butter in a 9×13 baking dish. Spread half the spaghetti in dish, then spread cheese mixture evenly over spaghetti. Spread remaining spaghetti over cheese mixture. Top with the remaining butter slices.Pour tomato meat sauce evenly over top layer of spaghetti.
  6. Top with remaining mozzarella and bake in preheated oven until casserole is heated through, about 35-45 minutes.

Million Dollar Spaghetti

million dollar spaghetti recipe

Million Dollar Spaghetti brings the best of spaghetti to the best of lasagna and marries them together. Don’t shy away from this crowd-pleasing casserole!

Prep: 30min

Total: 75min

Yield: 12

Serving Size: 1 /12 of the recipe

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 /12 of the recipe, calories 616 kcal, Carbohydrate 39 g, Protein 24 g, Fat 41 g, Saturated Fat 20 g, Cholesterol 112 mg, Sodium 1388 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 8 g

Ingredients:

  • 16 ounces dried spaghetti noodles
  • 1 cup (1 Medium) yellow onion (chopped)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)
  • 6 cups homemade marinara sauce,-divided (or 2 (24-ounce) jars marinara sauce)
  • 8 ounces cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 3 cups mozzarella (shredded-divided)
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1/2 cup butter (cut into slices-divided)

Instruction:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Bring a large pot of water, with 1 tablespoon of salt, to a boil. Cook pasta according to the package. Drain well, then return pasta to the original pot, and add 3 cups or 1 jar of prepared marinara sauce and combine. Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add onion and garlic and cook until they begin to soften about 5 minutes. Add sausage to skillet, and brown, crumbling sausage with a wooden spoon. Cook until there is no longer any pink in sausage. Drain well. Add the remaining 3 cups or 1 jar marinara sauce to the skillet. Set aside.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella, and Italian seasoning. Set aside.
  5. Place half the sliced butter in the baking dish. Spread half the spaghetti in the dish, then spread the cheese mixture evenly over the spaghetti. Top with the remaining butter slices. Spread remaining spaghetti over cheese mixture. Pour tomato meat sauce evenly over the top layer of spaghetti.
  6. Top with remaining mozzarella and bake in the preheated oven until casserole is heated through about 35-45 minutes.

Try My Baked Spaghetti (Million Dollar Spaghetti) | How To Make Spaghetti Bake | So Easy!!

FAQ

What is the secret to good spaghetti?

IF YOU COOK spaghetti in a big pot of water, drain it, then toss it with sauce, you are pouring a lot of flavor down the drain, says Vendemmia chef Brian Clevenger. “The trick to good pasta is cooking it in the sauce,” he says. It was while working at Delfina in San Francisco that he really started to understand why.

How to make large amounts of spaghetti?

Use the Same Amount of Water

Cook 2 pounds of pasta in a 6-quart Dutch oven in the same 4 quarts of boiling water and 1 tablespoon of salt you would use for 1 pound of pasta. (It’s the ratio of salt to water, not salt to pasta, that’s key for seasoning.)

How does Paula Deen make spaghetti?

Ingredients
  1. 8 oz uncooked angel hair pasta.
  2. 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.
  3. 1 1/2 lbs ground beef.
  4. 1 1/2 teaspoons Paula Deen’s House Seasoning.
  5. 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar.
  6. 1 1/2 teaspoons Paula Deen Seasoned Salt.
  7. 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning.
  8. 2 cups tomato sauce.

How many pounds of pasta do you need for 100 guests?

Check out my charts below for pasta portions for 8, 25, 50 or 100 people. I’ve learned making pasta for a large group is not down to a specific number.

How Much Spaghetti to Make Per Person?
Pasta People (Adult Portions) Pounds
Spaghetti 25 3.13lbs
50 6.25lbs
100 12.5lbs
About the author

Helen is an author and editor at helenbackcafe.com, who has a passion for writing about recipes. She loves to experiment with different ingredients and cooking techniques to create delicious and unique dishes.

Among all the foods, pizza holds a special place in her heart, and she loves exploring different variations and toppings to create the perfect slice. Through her writing, Helen hopes to inspire others to get creative in the kitchen and share their love for food with the world.

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