Easy Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole

Indulge in Million Dollar Spaghetti: Layers of noodles, cheese, & homemade meat sauce create a budget-friendly, family-favorite casserole!

Similar in taste to lasagna, this hearty meal is easy to throw together and had the pickiest of eaters asking for more. Served with a classic Caesar salad and garlic bread, this meal checks all the boxes for our family.

Pin the yummy picture to your favorites board on Pinterest! Then come back to our delicious million-dollar spaghetti recipe next time you want an easy, yet supremely satisfying, weeknight dinner! 

We make this recipe all. the. time. The whole family loves it so much that we make extra to guarantee leftovers. And the leftovers are just as big of a hit as the initial meal! As with a lot of pasta, it keeps well in the fridge and can actually enhance the flavors and bring them together.

Those classic flavors of spaghetti with the added richness and seasonings make this easy recipe the ultimate comfort food for a weeknight dinner, potluck, or chilly evening. 

FAQs

Should I rinse my pasta after draining? 

Do not rinse your pasta no matter what! It removes the starch on the surface and prevents the sauce from sticking to and sinking into the noodles. If you let them cook a little too long, you can pop them in the freezer and give them a toss in the cold air to avoid any further cooking.

What size pot should I use for pasta cooking?

Never use a small pot unless you are making a small, single serving of noodles. Pasta cooks better when it has lots of room to swirl around in the water. Just don’t forget to stir occasionally or the noodles can stick together or to the bottom of the pot.

What pairs well with spaghetti?

Roasted veggies or a green salad round out a spaghetti meal nicely. And they’re classic pairings for this dish. Bread is almost a must alongside spaghetti, not just as a traditional side, but because you can sop up the delicious sauce with it and truly clean your plate. (This is my favorite part of any meal. Mmmm bread.)

Why is my baked pasta dish dry?

One culprit of dry baked pasta is too high heat or too much time in the oven. In addition, and less obviously, you usually need more sauce than you think for baked pasta! If the pasta-to-sauce ratio is off, your dish can turn out crazy dry or super sloppy. We recommend following this recipe closely so your baked spaghetti turns out just right.

Supplies for our Million Dollar Spaghetti recipe:

• Cheese shredder
• Large knife
• Large skillet (OK, this Gordon Ramsay Hexclad was an absolute dream to cook with – AND clean!)
• Ground meat mincer (how did we survive without this in our lives?)
• Medium or large bowl
• Immersion blender
• Spatula
• Casserole dish, or disposable foil pan

Easy Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients for Million-Dollar Spaghetti Casserole:

• 16 oz spaghetti noodles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt

Spaghetti sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups yellow onion
• 1 pound ground meat
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage
• 2 teaspoon garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 28 oz marinara sauce, we used Rao’s but use your favorite brand

Cheese Mixture:

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 oz cream cheese

• 3 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup cheddar/monterey jack cheese

Directions for making one of our favorite hearty casseroles:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add onions and ground meat. Mince the meat until crumbly, and cook about halfway through. Start cooking pasta in boiling water and olive oil, then remove from heat a little over halfway through cooking and drain (but don’t rinse!).

• 1 1/2 cups yellow onion
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage
• 1 pound ground meat

(see this pan? This is that Gordon Ramsay Hexclad Skillet that we linked above. Guess what I am buying myself for my birthday??? Here is a clue – someone is getting the set that I have been using at Salvation Army)

Inserting my HexClad Pans Review here because I’m truly in love with these pans!

Aren’t they just so pretty!!? These Hexclad pans…are they worth the price? Do they live up to the hype? The quick answer is YES! Do I use them? YESSSS! Do I let my husband use them? Well, if he is supervised, but only because I want to keep them nice and shiny for a few more months. I am not sure what kind of pixie dust these things are made of, but they are literally the Rolls Royce of Pans. Super easy to use, high-quality products with a non-stick surface.

What I love about Hexclad pans is that they have stay-cool handles with nonstick surfaces that heat evenly for cooking perfection. The Hell’s Kitchen celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay obviously knows how to create the perfect pans. Literally. And because of that, I own 3 frying pans and the square skillet and I won’t use anything else.

Perfect as a gift to give or if you gift it to yourself!!! You can shop Hexclad products here.

Now, back to our recipe:

3. While your meat and pasta cook, combine cottage cheese, and sour cream in a large bowl, and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. 

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream

4. The final consistency should be spreadable but not runny.

5. Returning to your skillet, add garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Then keep it on the heat until the meat is browned and the onions start to become translucent. 

• 2 teaspoon garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

6. Pour the marinara sauce over the meat and onions.

• 28 oz marinara sauce

7. In a 9×13 baking dish layer 1/2 each of
spaghetti, meat sauce, cheese mixture, shredded cheese,
then repeat.

8. Bake covered for 30 minutes, uncover and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Variations of our million-dollar spaghetti recipe:

• Use a combination of ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork, or ground turkey in the hearty meat sauce.
• Add bell peppers to your meat sauce for extra flavor. 
• Play around with different types of cheese. Instead of cottage cheese, you can add ricotta. You could also add cheddar cheese in larger quantities with reduced amounts of Mozzarella. Provolone, Monterey Jack, or a blend of Italian cheeses can make great substitutions as well. If you want even more cheesy goodness, top with parmesan cheese.
• Halve this recipe (or split the dish into smaller servings), and bake it in your air fryer once assembled. Just make sure your baking dish fits in your air fryer!
• Substitute red or green onions for yellow onions, or mix them up together! Red onions will give your sauce a stronger tangy flavor, and green adds a bright, crisp freshness, and yellow taste both tangy and sweet.
• For a creamy pink sauce, replace 1/2 cup of marinara sauce with 1/2 cup of homemade Alfredo sauce.

Tips and Tricks:

• Make sure your pasta is al dente! It will continue cooking in the oven and we don’t want a mushy mess.
• If your meat mixture is looking a little oily, pour out or dab off the excess grease before adding the tomato sauce.
• Do you have gluten-intolerant family members? Gluten-free pasta works just as well! I find that it cooks a bit faster than regular pasta, so I pull it off the stove a few minutes earlier than recommended by the package directions.
• For the best taste and texture, store covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container and use within 3-4 days.
• Serve with garlic bread and a simple green salad for a delicious, full meal the whole family will love.

This crowd-pleasing dinner is one of our favorite easy recipes for large families or groups. Just a little bit of prep and some simple ingredients go a long way in feeding the masses! We consider this an ultimate comfort food that hits the spot for every reader, every time.

From the first time you try this decadent dinner, you’ll know it will become a great addition to your recipe repertoire. When I serve up this million-dollar spaghetti casserole, my whole family goes silent and eats with gusto. Even my pickiest eater goes back for seconds!

Love this recipe? Show us your support by giving it a 5-star rating and spreading the yum on Facebook. Plus, don’t forget to pin the gorgeous casserole glistening with plenty of melted cheese to your favorites board on Pinterest!

Need more easy dinner ideas? Check out our Hawaiian Rolls Cheeseburger Sliders, No Peek Beef Tips, and Sheet Pan Salmon and Veggies.