Description
This Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole combines tender spaghetti with a rich blend of cream cheese and Italian seasonings, layered with hearty ground beef and marinara sauce, then baked to bubbly perfection. It’s an easy, comforting meal perfect for family dinners or make-ahead meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 oz spaghetti
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 (26-oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat Oven. Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Cook the Meat Sauce. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until fully cooked, then drain off any excess fat. Stir in the jar of spaghetti sauce along with the Italian seasoning and minced garlic. Set this meat sauce mixture aside.
- Cook Spaghetti and Mix with Cream Cheese. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain well, then place the hot spaghetti in a large bowl. Add the cream cheese and Italian seasoning, stirring until the cream cheese melts completely and coats the spaghetti thoroughly.
- Layer the Casserole. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread a small layer of the meat sauce on the bottom of the dish. Then spread the cream cheese-coated spaghetti evenly over this layer. Pour the remaining meat sauce over the top, and sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese evenly over the entire casserole.
- Bake the Casserole. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese on top is melted and slightly golden.
Notes
- Prepare the casserole in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later convenience.
- If baking after refrigerating, you may need to extend the cooking time by a few minutes to ensure it’s heated through.
- To bake after freezing, make sure to thaw completely before baking as directed.
- To reheat frozen casserole, thaw fully, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350ºF for 30 to 40 minutes until warmed through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/8 of casserole)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
