Baked Spaghetti Casserole

serving spaghetti casserole from the dish

4.60 from 10 votes

Spaghetti casserole is what happens when regular spaghetti needs to stretch a little further. It’s simple, filling, humble, and feeds a lot of people!

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Easy Weeknight Dinners

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: Servings

Calories: 659kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

For the spaghetti:

1 (16-oz) package spaghetti uncooked
1 tablespoon oil

For the spaghetti sauce:

1 tablespoon oil
1 pound ground beef
salt & pepper to taste
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium onion diced (about 1 cup)
2 sticks celery diced (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes

For the cheese sauce:

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese softened
1 cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup sour cream

For topping:

1 (8-oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Get started:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a deep 13×9-inch baking dish and set aside.
Get your ingredients ready.
Cook spaghetti:
Cook the spaghetti according to the package. Drain it, put it back in the pot, drizzle with oil, cover, and set it aside.
1 (16-oz) package spaghetti, 1 tablespoon oil
Brown the beef and vegetables:
While the pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until browned. Drain extra grease if you prefer.
Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes.
1 tablespoon oil, 1 pound ground beef, salt & pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 medium onion, 2 sticks celery, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes
Make the tomato sauce:
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the Italian seasoning and tomato paste into the beef mixture, then add the diced tomatoes. Let it simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Stir up the cheese layer:
Mix the cream cheese, ricotta, and sour cream until smooth. No need to overthink it!
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, 1 cup ricotta cheese, ¼ cup sour cream
Put it together:
Spread about ¼ of the meat sauce over the bottom of your prepared casserole dish. Cover with half the spaghetti. Spread the cheese mixture over it, then add the rest of the spaghetti.
Spoon the remaining meat sauce over the top and sprinkle with mozzarella.
1 (8-oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese
Bake:
Bake uncovered at 350°F for 35–45 minutes, until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Let it sit for a few minutes, then serve.

Notes

Use a deep baking dish. This casserole bubbles as it bakes. A deep 13×9-inch dish helps prevent spills and keeps cleanup easy.
Soften the cream cheese first. Let the cream cheese sit out until soft so it mixes smoothly with the ricotta and sour cream. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps.
Let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Giving the casserole 5–10 minutes to sit helps it hold together better when scooped and keeps it from being soupy.

Nutrition