Million Dollar Spaghetti (Print Version)

Baked spaghetti layered with creamy cheese, savory meat sauce and golden melted mozzarella.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 lb dried spaghetti

→ Meat Sauce

02 - 1 lb ground beef
03 - 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 24 oz jar marinara sauce
07 - 1 tsp dried basil
08 - 1 tsp dried oregano
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

→ Cheese Mixture

11 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
12 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
13 - 1/2 cup sour cream
14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

→ Alfredo Layer

16 - 1 cup prepared Alfredo sauce

→ Topping

17 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
18 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook the spaghetti until just al dente, then drain and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, Italian sausage and chopped onion until browned; drain excess fat, add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Stir the marinara sauce, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper into the skillet, bring to a simmer and cook 5–7 minutes; remove from heat.
05 - In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then fold in the ricotta, sour cream, grated Parmesan and chopped parsley until homogenous.
06 - Arrange half of the cooked spaghetti in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
07 - Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the bottom spaghetti layer, smoothing to the edges.
08 - Place the remaining spaghetti over the cheese layer, pour the Alfredo sauce evenly over the top, then spread the meat sauce over the Alfredo.
09 - Evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and the remaining grated Parmesan over the assembled layers.
10 - Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes; remove the foil and continue baking 10–15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
11 - Allow the casserole to rest 10 minutes before slicing to set the layers, then portion and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • This layered pasta lets you sneak bites of molten cheese straight from the pan as a secret pre-dinner treat.
  • It nails that cozy, restaurant-style richness but is totally doable on a weeknight.
02 -
  • Letting the casserole rest before slicing is not optional unless you want a cheesy avalanche.
  • I once skipped browning the sausage thoroughly—never again: it completely changed the flavor depth.
03 -
  • If a layer seems dry, drizzle a little extra Alfredo or marinara before baking—it makes all the difference on reheating.
  • Reserve a bit of the cheese topping to sprinkle halfway through baking for perfect melt and crisp edges.
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