Easy Million Dollar Spaghetti
A comforting baked pasta dish with layers of tender spaghetti, savory tomato meat sauce, and a creamy cheese mixture, perfect for a crowd-pleasing dinner.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 706kcal
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 24 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream softened
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- Garnish with fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Prepare spaghetti to al dente according to package directions.
- In a medium skillet, cook onions and garlic over medium heat, stirring often. Cook for 5 minutes or until onions become transparent.
- Add ground beef to skillet and continue cooking until no pink remains. Drain excess fat.
- Add the spaghetti sauce to the hamburger mixture in the skillet. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese until uniform.
- Slice the stick of butter into thin slices. Place half of them in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Add half of your spaghetti noodles over top.
- Spread cream cheese mixture over top of noodles.
- Add remaining noodles over top of cream cheese mixture.
- Place remaining slices of butter on top of noodles.
- Next, spread ground beef mixture over top.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over top. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden brown.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- Undercook the pasta slightly by boiling the spaghetti just until al dente or even slightly under, as it will continue cooking in the oven and help prevent it from becoming too soft or mushy.
- Be sure to layer the ingredients carefully, and to not overmix. This will ensure that the dish has structure and won't be too mushy or lose its layered effect when serving.
- You can cover the pan with foil to prevent over-browning if the top starts to brown too quickly while baking, which will ensure an evenly baked dish without over-crisping the top.
- After it is done baking, let the dish sit for around 15 minutes so that the flavors can meld together. Letting it cool down for a few minutes will also make it easier to slice.
Nutrition
Calories: 706kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 886mg | Potassium: 654mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1375IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 3mg