Million Dollar Spaghetti

Most pasta dishes are rich and comforting, but only one is so good it can be called Million Dollar Spaghetti. This casserole looks like your standard pasta bake, but it eats more like lasagna—and it’s one hour (or more) quicker to make.

In Million Dollar Spaghetti, the ricotta layer lends an overall creamy texture, but it’s not too heavy or rich. A thick layer of meat sauce keeps everything loose. (If you’ve had a dry spaghetti bake, you’ll know what we mean.) Did we mention there's cheese? Four kinds of cheese are in this spaghetti casserole so that every bite is ooey and gooey.

Keep reading to learn how to make Million Dollar Spaghetti casserole—and leave us a review if you try it and love it.

How To Make Million Dollar Spaghetti

Million Dollar Spaghetti does take some time to build, but it's also got lots of hands-off time so that you can prepare the side dishes while the pasta and meat sauce cook—or when it's baking. The full recipe for this spaghetti casserole is below, but here's a brief recap:

• Step 1: Cook the pasta. You should cook the spaghetti until al dente, or not fully cooked. If you overcook the pasta, it'll turn mushy once baked. A slightly under done texture is preferred so that the final dish is perfectly tender.
• Step 2: Make the meat sauce. Brown the beef and sausage, then add the onion, garlic, and some of the marinara sauce.
• Step 3: Sauce the pasta. Once the spaghetti is cooked and drained, add a bit of the marinara sauce and butter to it, and stir to get the spaghetti fully coated. This will help keep the pasta from being extra dry once baked.
• Step 4: Make the cheese mixture. You'll combine three of the cheeses in this recipe for a spreadable, ultra rich cheese layer. (The final cheese goes on top.)
• Step 5: Layer the spaghetti casserole. Add pasta, then cheese, then meat sauce to the baking dish. Top with the mozzarella.
• Step 6: Bake. You'll need to cook the casserole for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Pull it from the oven, and let it sit 10 minutes before you take a scoop.
  

Million Dollar Spaghetti Ingredients

These ingredients are standard for any baked pasta, and there's some flexibility for what you might already have on hand in your pantry and fridge. For Million Dollar Spaghetti, you'll need:

• Spaghetti: You can use another pasta if you want, but the way the long, thin spaghetti noodles press together and bake really makes the texture of this casserole special.
• Ground sirloin and ground sausage: Feel free to use all of one kind of meat—or even reach for ground turkey or ground chicken as an alternative. The sausage and beef are a bit richer, but you'll never know the difference in the final dish.
• Onion and garlic: To add flavor and aromatics.
• Marinara sauce: We prefer Rao's for its brightness and fresh flavor, but any will work so long as you like it.
• Butter: Covering the spaghetti in a bit of marinara and butter helps to avoid it turning dry while baking.
• Cream cheese: This forms the base of the creamy cheese layer. You could use more ricotta, or reach for flavored cream cheese, like garlic and herb.
• Ricotta cheese: This adds a lot of richness without too much flavor. Some people prefer cottage cheese over ricotta, and that's a good swap if you happen to have cottage cheese already.
• Parmesan cheese: This finishes the three-cheese layer.
• Mozzarella cheese: Top the spaghetti casserole with mozzarella that will turn bubbly and golden in the oven.
• Parsley: Fresh parsley is a nice touch to finish off the dish.

How To Make Ahead and Freeze

Planning for a busy night in the future? Million Dollar Spaghetti casserole gives you some options.

You can make this dish a day in advance through Step 8. Then let it cool completely, cover the dish in plastic food wrap, and chill it in the fridge overnight. You can then bring it back out and bake it for dinner. It may need a bit more time to get heated all the way through.

If you want to freeze Million Dollar Spaghetti, assemble through Step 8, let it cool, and then wrap the dish in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Be sure to label the dish, and date it. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

When you're ready to eat the spaghetti casserole, move the pan from the freezer to the fridge. Let it thaw for a day, then bake it according to the recipe's directions. Again, you may have to cook it longer to get it heated through.

How To Store and Reheat

One of the best things about Million Dollar Spaghetti is that it makes 8 servings. You may end up with leftovers—and the leftovers are delicious. The spaghetti could become a bit softer (another reason to cook it al dente to begin with), but everything else will be fresh and flavorful.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. You can enjoy them up to 5 days.

To reheat, put the casserole servings on a microwave-safe dish, and warm them gently in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, until they're heated through.

What To Serve With Million Dollar Spaghetti

Million Dollar Spaghetti is nearly a full meal on its own, but you will probably want to round the plate out with vegetables and bread. Consider these:

• Garlic Bread
• Chopped Kale Salad With Toasted Breadcrumbs
• Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
• Oven-Roasted Asparagus