Main Dish · 11 Ingredients
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Layer spaghetti, a creamy cheese filling and Italian sausage marinara in one casserole, then bake with mozzarella. Includes a 15-minute rest and make-ahead notes.
By Spare Hours · · Adapted from Spend With Pennies
- Prep*
- 40 min
- Cook*
- 45 min
- Total*
- 1 hr 25 min
- Makes
- 12 servings
*Source recipe estimates. The source lists about 1 hour 25 minutes total, but the method also calls for a separate 15-minute rest before serving. Include that rest in your meal planning; the published total is an estimate.
Before You Begin
Million Dollar Spaghetti is a baked pasta casserole with a creamy cheese layer between two layers of sauced spaghetti. Italian sausage marinara and melted mozzarella finish the top.
The filling combines cottage cheese or ricotta with cream cheese, sour cream and mozzarella. Let the casserole rest for 15 minutes after baking before serving.
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and heat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature so it blends smoothly into the filling.
- Divide the sauce into two 24-ounce portions, reserve 1 cup mozzarella for the filling and 2 cups for the top, and separate the Italian seasoning into 2 teaspoons and 1 teaspoon.
Printable Recipe Card
Million Dollar Spaghetti
12 servings · 11 ingredients. Adapted from Spend With Pennies. The source lists about 1 hour 25 minutes total, but the method also calls for a separate 15-minute rest before serving. Include that rest in your meal planning; the published total is an estimate.
Ingredients
Check off each ingredient as you prepare it.
Cooking Steps
Prepare the oven and dish
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Cook and sauce the spaghetti
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti to al dente according to its package. Drain thoroughly, return it to the pot and toss with 24 ounces of the marinara or spaghetti sauce. Set aside.
Make the meat sauce
Place the Italian sausage, chopped onion and minced garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the meat has no pink remaining and the onion is soft. Drain off excess fat, then stir in the remaining 24 ounces of sauce and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Set aside.
Blend the cheese filling
Use a hand mixer to blend the cottage cheese or ricotta, room-temperature cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and the remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Build the layers
Spread half the spaghetti in the prepared dish. Add the cheese filling in an even layer, then cover it with the remaining spaghetti. Spread the meat sauce evenly over the top.
Bake with mozzarella
Bake uncovered for 35–45 minutes, until the casserole is hot throughout. Add the remaining 2 cups mozzarella over the top for the final 20 minutes of baking.
Rest before serving
Let the baked casserole stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Meat alternatives
Ground beef or ground turkey can replace the Italian sausage. Add extra seasoning to the sauce when making either substitution. For a little heat, add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
Make ahead
Assemble the casserole up to 24 hours before baking. Let the refrigerated dish stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before it goes into the oven, and add 15 minutes to the baking time.
Leftovers
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Spare Hours · sparehours.puzzlegames.app/recipes/million-dollar-spaghetti/ · Recipe source: https://www.spendwithpennies.com/million-dollar-spaghetti-casserole/
Recipe Source
Adapted from Spend With Pennies: Million Dollar Spaghetti. Ingredient amounts, method details and source time estimates come from the supplied recipe record. The instructions have been rewritten for this page.
The food image is an illustration supplied in this collection, derived from the source recipe photograph. Image credits
