Million Dollar Spaghetti

Million Dollar Spaghetti is a DELICIOUS easy dinner idea! The noodles are layered with a cheesy center and topped with a yummy homemade meat sauce and cheese.

Million Dollar Spaghetti is like the happy marriage of my favorite Spaghetti pie, to a classic lasagna. The noodles are layered with a cheesy filling in the middle, then a yummy meat sauce and cheese on top. YUM!

Contrary to what the name might lead you to believe, it’s a super inexpensive meal to make, but it DOES taste like a million bucks 🙂  . Your family will LOVE you for this one!

Start by boiling a package of spaghetti noodles. Once cooked, drain the water and toss them in a bowl with some butter and a little marinara sauce. Pour half the noodles in a pan and spread a creamy, cheesy mixture on top.

Then add the remaining noodles on top, creating a little surprise filling inside.

Next add your marinara meat sauce, and extra cheese on top to finish it off. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly. I love it when the cheese on the edges get golden –YUM!.

I like to use both ground beef and ground Italian sausage in this recipe. It adds really great flavor. You could freeze the leftover 1/2 pound of Italian sausage and save it for another recipe down the road, like Baked Ziti or Pizza Casserole.

Tips for making this a freezable meal:

Prepare recipe right up until the baking step. Cover well with greased aluminum foil and freeze. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, then bake for about 20 minutes covered and then 15-20 minutes uncovered. If baking from frozen, bake covered for about 40 minutes, then uncover and bake 20-30 minutes longer, or until bubbly and warm.

Consider serving this with:

• Fresh Fruit Salad
• Classic Wedge Salad
• Fresh Green Salad
• A big tray of raw veggies with Easy Vegetable Dip
• Homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks

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Million Dollar Spaghetti

Million Dollar Spaghetti is a DELICIOUS easy dinner idea! The noodles are layered with a cheesy center and topped with a yummy homemade meat sauce and cheese.

4.57 from 65 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 15

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Lauren Allen

Video

Ingredients

• 16 ounces spaghetti noodles
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
• salt and pepper , to taste
• 1 small onion , chopped
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 24 ounce jars marinara pasta sauce
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley leaves for garnish, optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large skillet cook and crumble the ground beef and Italian sausage and season with salt and pepper. Remove most of the grease.
• Add onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes until onion is translucent. 
• Add all but 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce (reserve 1/2 cup for the noodles) to the mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Cook Spaghetti according to package instructions, just until “al dente”.
• Place hot spaghetti in a large mixing bowl with butter and 1/2 cup marinara sauce and toss to combine. Pour HALF of the pasta into a 9x13’’ pan.
• Combine cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese in a bowl and mix well. Smooth over noodles in the pan. 
• Top with remaining noodles. Add meat mixture on top and smooth into an even layer. Top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. 
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Check it around 20 minutes and if the cheese is browning too quickly, place a piece of tinfoil over it.
• Wait about 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Notes

This is a great freezer meal!  Tips for freezing this recipe are listed in the post above!

I love to serve this with Homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks!

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 644mg | Potassium: 361mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 650IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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