Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole
This million dollar spaghetti casserole combines layers of noodles, rich meat sauce, and creamy cheeses for the ultimate comfort food dinner that tastes like a million bucks!
Ingredients
- ¾ pound sweet Italian sausage , casing removed
- ½ yellow onion , chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning , divided
- 1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce or marinara , divided
- 8 ounces dry spaghetti noodles
- ½ cup ricotta cheese , can sub cottage cheese or sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese , divided
- Salt and Pepper
- fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x9-inch baking dish or spray lightly with nonstick spray.
- Make spaghetti sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook 3/4 pound sausage, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Add 1/2 chopped yellow onion and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in 3 cloves garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Drain fat, and stir in 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Bring to a light simmer and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook noodles. While the sauce is simmering bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 8 ounces spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Stir in remaining 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce.
- Ricotta mixture. In a medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add in freshly chopped basil if desired.
- Layer. Place 1/2 of the noodles evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the top of the noodles. Place the remaining 1/2 of the noodles over the top of the cheese mixture. Pour the spaghetti meat sauce over the top. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil.
- Bake. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, removing foil last 10 minutes, until heated through and cheese is bubbly. You can broil for 1-2 minutes if desired (watch carefully). Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle fresh basil over the top before serving.
Notes
Freeze: Make the casserole up until baking (I like to place in a foil pan). Cover with foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Storage: The leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. If dry, add more marinara.
Nutrition
Calories: 371kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 805mg, Potassium: 440mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 691IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 168mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
