Perfect for busy weeknights this baked cream cheese spaghetti casserole is a family favorite. Creamy spaghetti sauce is combined with sausage, onions and pasta, then baked with plenty of parmesan and mozzarella cheese. If spaghetti and lasagna had a baby this would be it!
Why this recipe works.
It may sound cliche but this recipe is easy to make and delicious. The ingredients are pretty cheap and I always have some of these items on hand.
Plus you will have enough to feed your whole family and have leftovers too. It's the gift that keeps on giving!
Ingredients you'll need to make this recipe.
Lean ground beef (I like 90/10)
Ground Italian sausage
Cream cheese
Minced garlic
Tomato sauce
Spaghetti noodles
Yellow onion
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder
Parsley and dried Italian seasoning
How to make baked cream cheese spaghetti casserole.
Making the meat sauce.
Dice up a small yellow onion, then heat up a large skillet on medium heat. Add olive oil to the skillet and sauté the onions for 4-5 minutes until softened.
Then add minced garlic and a 50/50 mix of ground beef and ground Italian sausage. Stir the meat and break up the large pieces as it cooks.
Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried Italian seasoning. Then continue cooking the meat until it is browned.
If there is a lot of grease leftover from the meat remove any excess.
Into the same pan on medium low, add cream cheese and tomato sauce. Give that a good mix and continue stirring until well combined. Turn the heat off and set aside while moving onto the next step.
Cooking the pasta.
Cook your spaghetti noodles by boiling them according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Putting it all together.
Add a little bit of the meat sauce to the bottom of a 9x12 casserole dish then the spaghetti noodles then the rest of the meat sauce.
Finish by topping everything with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese has melted on top and everything is warm all the way through. Top with a little fresh chopped parsley to finish.
Serving.
To serve I like to cut out squares and plate with extra garlic bread of course!
Storing and reheating.
Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Microwave each serving for up to a minute until warmed all the way through. I use a paper towel over the top to prevent the sauce from splattering. Just like my mom taught me!
Try these Italian inspired recipes!
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Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground Italian sausage
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 24 ounces jar of tomato sauce
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon of salt, pepper and garlic powder blend (or 1 teaspoon of each)
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Dice a small yellow onion and mince 1 tablespoon of garlic. In a large skillet on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté yellow onion until softened and cooked through. About 5 minutes. Then add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Into the same skillet add ½ pound of ground beef and ½ pound of ground sausage. Season with 1 tablespoon of salt, pepper and garlic powder blend as well as 1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning. Mix well to combine and continue to cook the ground meat until browned. About 5-10 minutes.
- Drain any excess grease from the skillet and turn heat to medium low. Then add your jar of tomato sauce and 1 block of softened cream cheese. Mix well to combine, then set aside.
- Boil 8 ounces of spaghetti noodles according to the package instructions and drain the water.
- In a 9x12 casserole dish add a little bit of the meat sauce to the bottom, followed by a layer of the noodles, then the remaining meat sauce. Top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake the dish at 350°F for 20-30 minutes until the cheese has melted completely on top and the dish has warmed through.
- Top dish with fresh parley and serve! .
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
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