Easy Baked Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
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This Easy Baked Spaghetti Casserole Recipe is creamy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor. This crowd-favorite casserole recipe combines spaghetti and lasagna into an easy-to-make, delicious dish!
If you are craving a dish that’s equal parts cozy, crowd-pleasing, and downright delicious – this Easy Baked Spaghetti Casserole is calling your name! It’s like your favorite lasagna and meaty spaghetti merged into one delicious dish with spaghetti nestled in a rich, meaty marinara sauce with a luscious layer of creamy cheeses that melts into every bite. The recipe is easy to prepare and is perfect for weeknights, potlucks, or when you crave comfort food.
Why You’ll Love this Easy Baked Spaghetti Casserole
- Easy Recipe – This recipe is simple to whip up with pantry and refrigerator staples.
- Budget-Friendly – Made with pantry and refrigerator staples, no fancy ingredients.
- Make Ahead and Freezer Friendly – Prep this recipe ahead to quickly bake on the busiest weeknight or double up when you make it to place another in the freezer to bake and enjoy later. Win/ Win!
- Family and Crowd Favorite – Be prepared for requests for this easy baked casserole for family dinners and for potlucks.
- Customizable – See all the customizations under Recipe Tips and Variations and use them as starting point for making this casserole recipe your own based on what you and your family prefer and the ingredients you enjoy!
How to Make Baked Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Spaghetti: use your favorite type of spaghetti for this recipe.
- Sauce: You’ll need Ground Beef, Onion (optional), and Marinara Sauce.
- Cheese layer: Stone House Seasoning, Cream Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, and Sour Cream.
- Topping: The casserole is topped with a final layer of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses for the final 15 minutes of baking.
- Butter: You’ll also need butter for the layers of the casserole.
Step by Step Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti and make the marinara sauce.
- Make the cheese layer.
- Assemble casserole: butter layer.
- Assemble casserole: cooked spaghetti layer.
- Assemble casserole: cheese layer.
- Assemble casserole: meat sauce layer.
- Assemble casserole: repeat with cooked spaghetti and butter layers.
- Assemble casserole: repeat cheese and meat sauce layers.
- Bake and add topping.
- Serve.
What to Serve with Baked Spaghetti Casserole
I love to serve this baked spaghetti casserole with a simple crunchy green salad like my house salad recipe with a basic vinaigrette dressing or a creamy ranch dressing and a crusty loaf garlic bread. Perfection!
Recipe Tips and Variations
Cheese Swap: Try cottage cheese in place of the ricotta for added protein or use provolone in place of the mozzarella for a smokier flavor.
Meat Options: Substitute ground beef with ground chicken or ground turkey, Italian sausage, or use a mix of ground pork and ground beef for extra depth of flavor.
Veggie Boost: Stir in one cup of sauteed spinach, bell peppers, along with the onions in the meat sauce.
Time Saving Tip: Use your favorite high-quality store-bought marinara to save time or if you prefer homemade, make a large batch in advance and freeze to use in recipes such as these!
Kid-Friendly Tip: Break the spaghetti into smaller pieces before cooking for easier scooping and eating, especially for little ones.
Vegetarian: Use sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, or lentils in place of meat.
Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free spaghetti and certified gluten-free ingredients to make this dish gluten-free friendly.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave (1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking until warmed throughout). OR Cover with foil and warm in the oven at 350ºF for 15 – 20 minutes until heated through.
Freezer: This casserole freezes beautifully. Assemble the dish up to the baking step, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed. If baking from frozen, cover with foil and add 15-20 minutes to the initial baking time, then uncover top with final cheese topping and bake until bubbly.
Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole up to 24 hour in advance. Assemble, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Then bake as directed, adding 5 – 10 minutes if still cold from the fridge.
Reheating Tip: To keep leftovers moist, add a splash of water or marinara sauce before reheating, and cover to trap the steam.
Here’s my Easy Baked Spaghetti Casserole Recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Let me know in the comments!
Easy Baked Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or stock pot
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti, cooked
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 medium onion, chopped (optional)
- 2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1 teaspoon Stone House Seasoning
- 1/2 cup butter, sliced thinly
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, or cottage cheese
- 8 ounces sour cream, or Greek yogurt
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Cook spaghetti. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until it is cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 8 to 12 minutes. Drain.
- Cook the ground beef. While the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef over medium heat until it is cooked throughout, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard any grease. Stir in the marinara sauce.
- Mix the cheese layer. Stir together the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sour cream, and Stone House Seasoning in a medium bowl.
- Layer the casserole. Add 1/2 of the butter slices to the bottom of the 9×13 baking dish. Top with 1/2 of the cooked noodles, then 1/2 of the cheese layer mixture, then 1/2 of the beef and marinara sauce. Repeat the layers (butter, noodles, cheese mixture, and beef marinara sauce).
- Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
