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Recipe compliments of www.ITISAKEEPER.com
Easy Baked Spaghetti
This cheesy spaghetti casserole delivers all the comfort of lasagna with a fraction of the effort — and a creamy cream cheese layer that sets it apart from every other baked pasta on your table. It’s a crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner that makes enough for a full family, stores well all week, and freezes like a dream.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti, cook according to package directions before assembling
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 teaspoons All Purpose Seasoning Blend, divided
- 24 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 8 ounces cream cheese, bring to room temperature before using
- 2 cups sour cream
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- Non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, add ground beef and season with 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning Blend. Cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink, breaking meat into crumbles as it cooks.
- Add tomato sauce, garlic, the remaining teaspoon of All Purpose Seasoning Blend and Italian seasoning. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine onion, cream cheese, sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place one-third of the cooked spaghetti in the dish. Spoon one-third of the cheese mixture over the noodles and top with one-third of the meat sauce. Repeat the layers two more times.
- Top with grated cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Christina's Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This recipe freezes well — wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Soften the cream cheese: Bring it to room temperature before mixing so the filling blends without lumps.
- Undercook the pasta slightly: Pull the spaghetti just before al dente — it finishes cooking in the oven and won’t turn mushy.
- Keep the sauce loose: Your meat sauce should be on the saucy side before layering. It thickens as the casserole bakes.
- Cover first, then uncover: Baking covered traps steam and cooks everything through. Removing the foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes gives you that golden, bubbly cheese top.
- Let it rest: Give the casserole 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven before cutting. The layers will hold together much better when you serve it.