Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti
This Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti is the definition of comfort food! This dish has layers of cooked spaghetti noodles, a flavorful (but easy to make!) meat sauce, a creamy cheese mixture, and a golden, bubbly topping of mozzarella cheese. This will be your go-to for all of your family gatherings!! It's made with simple ingredients and feeds a crowd - and the leftovers are downright delicious!
Equipment
- Potato Masher gets the meat broken up nice and fine!
Ingredients
- 12 oz. dry spaghetti noodles
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic cloves, minced about 3-4 large cloves
- 2 lbs. lean ground beef I prefer 85-90% lean for this dish
- 2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
- 2 24 oz. jars of marinara sauce (about 6 cups) we love Rao's!
- 8 oz. ricotta cheese
- 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese freshly shredded, if possible!
- sea salt/freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- freshly chopped parsley or basil (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large pot, cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package instructions until al dente. Give the noodles a quick rinse so they don't stick. Drain the noodles and set them aside.
- Cook Garlic and Onions: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the chopped onions and minced garlic, and cook until they become fragrant (about 2-3 minutes).
- Cook Beef: Add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook it until it's browned and fully cooked (4-5 minutes). Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon while it cooks. Pro Tip: Use a potato masher toward the end of cooking, to get the neat broken up nice and fine! Season meat with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Add Sauce: Stir in the marinara sauce. Let the beef mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add the cooked spaghetti to the meat mixture and combine.
- Mix: While the sauce is simmering, in a medium-sized bowl combine the ricotta cheese cream cheese, and sour cream. Mix well until ingredients are smooth and evenly combined.
- Assemble: Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Then, spread half of the cooked spaghetti and meat sauce evenly on the bottom of the pan. Spread the cheesy sour cream mixture evenly on top of the noodles and then sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese over the cheese mixture.Pour the remaining meaty spaghetti sauce on top of the cheese layer. Finish by sprinkling the remaining 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. Feel free to add more of you like!
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through. Allow the dish to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley or basil if you like!
Notes
Nutrition is only an estimate based on the Very Well Fit Nutrition Calculator
Nutrition
Calories: 733kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 47gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 781mgPotassium: 1057mgFiber: 6gSugar: 14.6gCalcium: 162mgIron: 19mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!