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Million Dollar Spaghetti is an easy casserole with layers of spaghetti noodles, a creamy mixture of sour cream, ricotta, and cream cheese, and meat sauce, all topped with lots of cheese. Perfect for busy weeknights & always a favorite for the whole family.
This million dollar spaghetti recipe is a bit of a combination of baked spaghetti and lasagna, with layers of spaghetti noodles, a cheese mixture made with sour cream, cream cheese, and ricotta, and meat sauce loaded with ground beef and Italian sausage. It’s one dish the boys request often and I make it frequently during the fall and winter. We love the leftovers for lunch or dinner between sports practices!
Why You’ll Love This Million Dollar Spaghetti Recipe
Here are a few reasons why I love this casserole.
- Family friendly. This is one dish that’s always a hit with the whole family, kids included. With noodles, lots of cheese, and pasta sauce, it’s hard to find someone who DOESN’T love it!
- Great for a crowd. Million dollar spaghetti is super filling and easy. I love making it when the boys have their friends over. It’s a cheap and easy way to feed a bunch of hungry boys!
- Easy. Each layer of this casserole takes just a few minutes to prepare. The “hardest” part is cooking the meat for the sauce. Otherwise, just combine the cheese layer ingredients and cook the pasta. So easy!
What You’ll Need
The ingredients needed to make this million dollar spaghetti casserole are a combination of what you’d need to make spaghetti and lasagna. Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.
- Spaghetti – Cook to al dente, according to the package instructions.
- Ground beef – I like to use an 80/20 ground beef blend that has some flavor but not too much fat.
- Italian sausage – I used mild Italian sausage but you could use spicy if you prefer for a bit of heat.
- Spices – Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Aromatics – Onion & garlic.
- Marinara sauce – Grab a jar of your favorite marinara sauce at the store or try my homemade marinara sauce.
- Cream cheese – Softened so it’s easy to combine.
- Sour cream – Adds the rich creamy texture and a bit of tang to the cheese layer.
- Ricotta cheese – Adds more flavor and texture to the cheese mixture.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated if possible.
- Mozzarella cheese – Freshly shredded is best here too.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few ways to customize this dish to your preferences.
- Customize the meat sauce. Feel free to substitute ground beef with ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version. You can also use a spicy Italian sausage for more heat or use all ground beef or all sausage.
- Make it vegetarian. Skip the meat and add sautéed vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
- Adjust the seasoning to your taste. You can add red pepper flakes for a bit of heat if desired.
- Use prepared meat sauce. If you were in a rush, you could easily use a jar of your favorite meat sauce in this recipe.
How To Make Million Dollar Spaghetti
Here’s an overview of how to make million dollar spaghetti. You can find the printable version of the instructions in the recipe card below.
- Cook the meat. Combine the ground beef and Italian sausage over medium heat. Cook until browned, breaking into small crumbles with a spoon. Drain any excess fat.
- Make the meat sauce. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until translucent and fragrant. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir in the marinara sauce. Simmer while you make the cheese mixture.
- Make the cheese mixture. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta until smooth.
- Assemble. In a greased baking dish, add half of the cooked spaghetti. Top it with the cheese mixture then add the remaining spaghetti. Pour the meat sauce over the spaghetti. Finish with the parmesan and mozzarella.
- Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until melted and bubbly. Let cool for a few minutes then serve and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
Here are a few things to keep in mind when making this recipe.
- Use softened cream cheese. This helps to ensure a smooth and creamy texture in the cheese mixture.
- Grease the pan well. The spaghetti noodles are the first layer of the casserole so if the pan isn’t greased, they will stick.
- Toss the noodles with olive oil. To prevent the noodles from sticking after you drain them, toss them with a bit of olive oil.
- Cool before serving. Let the baked million dollar spaghetti cool for just a few minutes before slicing and serving. This gives the layers time to set and prevents the cheese mixture from spreading everywhere when you slice it.
- Variations. Swap the spaghetti noodles for ziti or rigatoni noodles. replace the sour cream mixture using cottage cheese. Replace the ground beef with ground turkey.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve million dollar spaghetti is with a simple side salad and a slice of crusty French bread. Cheesy garlic bread would be another great option and instead of the salad, you could do a green veggie like oven roasted asparagus or sauteed green beans.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave.
More Spaghetti Recipes To Try
- Baked Spaghetti
- Cheesy Taco Spaghetti
- Easy Chicken Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Million Dollar Spaghetti is an easy casserole with layers of spaghetti noodles, a creamy mixture of sour cream, ricotta, and cream cheese, and meat sauce, all topped with lots of cheese. Perfect for busy weeknights & always a favorite for the whole family.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti cooked to package instructions for al dente
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground mild Italian sausage
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jar marinara sauce 24 oz
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the ground beef and ground mild Italian sausage. Cook until browned, breaking up the meat with a spoon as it cooks. Drain excess fat.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook until the onion is translucent and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir in the marinara sauce and let it simmer on low heat while you prepare the cheese mixture.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta cheese. Mix until smooth and well blended.
- In the prepared baking dish, start with a layer of half the cooked spaghetti. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the spaghetti layer. Add the remaining spaghetti on top of the cheese mixture. Pour the meat sauce evenly over the top layer of spaghetti.
- Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the meat sauce.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
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Nutrition
Calories: 672kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 788mg | Potassium: 438mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 815IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 341mg | Iron: 2mg
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3 comments on “Million Dollar Spaghetti”
I made this for supper last week. It was fabulous!! My husband kept saying how good it was! Thanks for making me look good! ☺️
Thanks Laura. So glad he liked it!
I made a version of this a while ago, and mine turned out really dry. I can’t wait to try your recipe (and directions) and see how IT goes! I love that you usually add videos with your recipes, and this one is one prime case of WHY I like the videos so much! To help figure out where I went wrong on my other attempts to make this (because the recipes are similar. It seems to have just been my technique that was off)!