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Million Dollar Spaghetti

Ever find yourself caught in the dinner rut, cycling through the same recipes over and over? Trust me, I’ve been there. That’s exactly why I fell head over heels for Million Dollar Spaghetti. This dish has layers upon layers of deliciousness, from hearty meat sauce to creamy, cheesy goodness. It’s a comfort food classic that gained fame on the Internet a few years ago. A delicious, hearty, and kid-friendly meal, I have jazzed up the original version a bit and should call this 5 Million Dollar spaghetti!

Million Dollar Spaghetti filled with meat and cheese.

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I love this Million Dollar Spaghetti recipe. It’s so easy to make, and it is so meaty, cheesy, hearty, and delicious. There’s nothing quite like getting this meal ready for the family and putting it on the table. These days, my teens will put a big dent in this casserole, but there’s usually enough leftover for lunch the next day.

This is a classic pasta casserole. It’s layered with noodles on the bottom, a rich cheesy layer in the middle, and then a saucy beefy layer on top. Oh, and more cheese! There’s cheese in every bite of this terrific dish that’s perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, or any time you just want a hearty dinner.

Everything you need is in this ground beef casserole recipe. Serve it with a salad with a great dressing, or opt for a Caesar Salad and voila, dinner is done!

Million Dollar Spaghetti in a baking dish.

What You’ll Love About Million Dollar Spaghetti


  • It’s a crowd-pleaser: Honestly, who doesn’t love a good pasta bake?
  • Easy to make: If you can cook spaghetti and brown meat, you’re halfway there.
  • Customizable: Feel free to add veggies or switch up the meats.
  • Freezer-friendly: Make it ahead of time, freeze it, and have it ready for those busy nights.
  • Gourmet flavors: The combination of cheeses and sauce is hard to resist!

Ingredients

  • Uncooked spaghetti
  • Ground beef – Either 90/10 or 80/20. Use lean ground beef.
  • Mild Italian sausage – Use bulk sausage or remove the casings.
  • Yellow onion – Chopped.
  • Green bell pepper – Chopped.
  • Mushrooms – Quartered.
  • Garlic cloves – Chopped.
  • Marinara sauce – From a jar or can.
  • Italian seasoning
  • Cream cheese – Softened.
  • Ricotta cheese – Whole fat works best in this recipe.
  • Parmesan cheese – Grated.
  • Mozzarella cheese – Shredded.
Ingredients for Million Dollar Spaghetti.

How to Make Million Dollar Spaghetti

  1. Preheat the oven to 370°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions to al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot or transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Brown the ground beef and sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat while the pasta is cooking. Drain the fat if necessary.
  4. Add the chopped onion, mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic to the meat mixture and continue to cook until the onion is softened.
  5. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of marinara sauce to the meat mixture, add the Italian seasoning and heat through.
  6. Add the remaining marinara sauce to the spaghetti and mix well.
  7. Transfer the sauced noodles to the prepared baking dish.
  8. Stir together the softened cream cheese, ricotta, and parmesan in a small bowl until mixed.
  9. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the noodles with an offset spatula.
  10. Top the cream cheese layer with the meat sauce and spread it out evenly.
  11. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella and bake covered with foil for about 40-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes.
A casserole dish with meat, cheese and tomatoes.

Chef Jenn’s Tips

  • Use hot Italian sausage if you like a bit of spice to your Million Dollar Spaghetti casserole.
  • You can prepare this casserole a day in advance and then just pop it into the oven to bake. Add about 5-10 minutes of baking time if the casserole is fridge-cold before baking.
  • Make sure the spaghetti is al dente to prevent it from becoming mushy during baking.
  • A sprinkle of fresh basil or parsley before serving can add a nice touch of freshness.

Recommendations

Make It A Meal

Want to go the extra mile? Serve this delicious pasta bake with a side of garlic bread and a simple green salad with a tasty dressing. Trust me, this is the kind of meal that will have everyone coming back for seconds… or thirds!

Storage

Million Dollar Spaghetti stores exceptionally well. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or if you want to plan ahead, you can freeze the unbaked assembly for up to 2 months. Just remember to thaw it overnight in the fridge before baking. You can even freeze the leftovers. Add them to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to a month.

Step By Step Process

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Million Dollar Spaghetti filled with meat and cheese.
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4.61 from 51 votes

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Creamy, cheesy, beefy, saucy and oh-so-good, Million Dollar Spaghetti is a baked layered casserole that everyone loves!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword baked pasta, breakfast casserole, million dollar spaghetti, pasta casserole
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 servings
Calories 967kcal
Author Chef Jenn

Equipment

  • 9×13 baking dish

Ingredients

  • 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
  • 12 ounces lean ground beef
  • 12 ounces mild Italian sausage
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 8 ounces mushrooms quartered
  • 1 cup diced green bell pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 32 ounce marinara sauce divided; you need 4 cups
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup ricotta whole fat
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Cook the spaghetti according to package directions to al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot or transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
  • Brown the ground beef and sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat while the pasta is cooking. Drain the fat if necessary.
  • Add the chopped onion, mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic to the meat mixture and continue to cook until the onion is softened.
  • Stir in 3 1/2 cups of marinara sauce to the meat mixture, add the Italian seasoning and heat through.
  • Add the remaining marinara sauce to the spaghetti and mix well.
  • Transfer the sauced noodles to the prepared baking dish.
  • Stir together the softened cream cheese, ricotta, and parmesan in a small bowl until mixed.
  • Spread the cream cheese mixture over the noodles with an offset spatula.
  • Top the cream cheese layer with the meat sauce and spread it out evenly.
  • Sprinkle the top with mozzarella and bake covered with foil for about 40-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time.

Notes

Chef Jenn’s Tips

    • Use hot Italian sausage if you like a bit of spice to your Million Dollar Spaghetti casserole.
    • You can prepare this casserole a day in advance and then just pop it into the oven to bake. Add about 5-10 minutes of baking time if the casserole is fridge-cold before baking.
    • Make sure the spaghetti is al dente to prevent it from becoming mushy during baking.
    • A sprinkle of fresh basil or parsley before serving can add a nice touch of freshness.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 967kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 1710mg | Potassium: 1301mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1763IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 448mg | Iron: 5mg

A Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.

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8 thoughts on “Million Dollar Spaghetti”

  1. 5 stars
    Two kinds of meat and four kinds of cheese made this dish impossible for my people to stop eating! ๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ˜‹๐Ÿ˜‹ thanks for a decadent pasta recipe!

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    A million thanks yous for this recipe! The fam gobbled it up and loved every bite. We used the spicy sausage for some kick and it was delicious.

    Reply
  3. 5 stars
    Ok you had me at creamy cheesy goodness, but I think the combination of ground beef and sausage really helps elevate this casserole as well. I had a lot of mouths to feed this weekend and this was exactly the right choice, everybody was full and happy!

    Reply
  4. 5 stars
    I typically use all italian sausage for my spaghetti but I love the idea to use a combination of ground beef and sausage. Thanks for the million dollar recipe. My kids thank you! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  5. 5 stars
    My goodness! This was so tasty. Iโ€™ve added this to my weekly rotation because the kids enjoyed it. I took it to work and my co workers kept requesting the recipe after trying it out. Ofcourse I sent they here.

    Reply
4.61 from 51 votes (45 ratings without comment)

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