Million Dollar Spaghetti

Oct 21, 2024

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Million dollar spaghetti is a satisfying spaghetti casserole featuring tender pasta noodles tossed in a homemade meat sauce and layered with melted cheese. It’s the ultimate family-friendly dinner that tastes like a million bucks!

Overhead image of baked million dollar spaghetti in a casserole dish.

This cheesy baked spaghetti casserole is the best of both worlds—a mix of classic spaghetti and a cheesy pasta bake. It’s got layers of tender noodles, rich marinara, a creamy cheese blend, and more gooey cheese on top! It’s like your favorite pasta dish taken up a notch. Trust me, this is one you won’t want to miss. While it does take a bit of time, much like lasagna, the wait is totally worth it.

Why You’ll Love This Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole

Family favorite. Million dollar spaghetti is the best combination of lasagna and spaghetti in one. Baking it in a casserole dish makes it the perfect choice for feeding your family on busy weeknights.
Full of flavor. This spaghetti casserole tastes like a million bucks! It’s made with oodles of noodles tossed in savory meat sauce, then baked beneath layers of melty cheese.
Budget-friendly. Despite the name, million dollar spaghetti is super affordable. This recipe makes a generous serving using basic ingredients.

Ingredients for million dollar spaghetti.

What You’ll Need

Below, I include a few notes on the ingredients you’ll need to make million dollar spaghetti. For a printable ingredient list, scroll down to the recipe card.

Spaghetti. One pound of dry spaghetti makes enough to fill a standard 9×13 casserole dish. You can make this casserole using just about any type of pasta, see more suggestions in my tips later on.
Olive Oil. Choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil for browning the meat.
Onion. One medium-sized white onion or yellow onion can work.
Ground beef & Italian sausage. I make this recipe with ground beef and mild or hot Italian sausage. However, you can use any ground meat or any combination that you’d like. Feel free to use all beef, mix in ground pork, or use a leaner option like ground chicken or ground turkey.
Seasonings. You’ll need salt and freshly cracked black pepper, as well as garlic powder to season the meat.
Marinara sauce. Choose your preferred jarred marinara sauce from the store.
Cheese. This spaghetti casserole calls for a combination of cheeses. I use ricotta cheese, cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, and Parmesan. If you don’t have ricotta, cottage cheese will also work. I recommend grating your mozzarella and parmesan cheeses fresh from the block so that they melt smoothly.
Sour Cream. Adds another layer of richness and tang to the cheese layer.

How to Make Million Dollar Spaghetti

Onions in a skillet ready to cook. — Cook the onions.

Adding ground beef and sausage to the skillet. — Cook the onions.

Breaking up the meat and adding spices. — Stir in the seasonings.

Adding pasta sauce to a skillet with cooked meat. — Stir in the seasonings.

Added cheese mixture ingredients to a white bowl. — Mix cheeses together.

Finished cheese mixture in a white bowl. — Mix cheeses together.

Adding cheese mixture on top of spaghetti. — Mix the cooked pasta & meat sauce, and add the cheese mixture.

Adding a layer of shredded cheese on top of spaghetti in a 9x13 dish. — Mix the cooked pasta & meat sauce, and add the cheese mixture.

Prep. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta. Add the spaghetti to the pot. Cook according to the package directions.
Prepare the sauce. Saute the onions until softened. Stir in the ground beef and sausage and cook until the meat is browned. Stir in the marinara sauce, lower the heat, and simmer.
Prepare the cheese mixture. Whisk together the ricotta, cream cheese, and sour cream.
Assemble the layers. Add the pasta to the meat sauce and toss to coat. Spread about one-half of the pasta evenly into the bottom of a casserole dish. Top this with a layer of cheese mixture and a layer of shredded mozzarella, followed by the rest of the pasta. Finally, sprinkle over the remaining mozzarella topped with grated parmesan cheese.
Bake. Bake your million dollar spaghetti at 375ºF for 40 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Spooning out baked spaghetti from a casserole dish.

Recipe Tips And Variations

Try not to overcook the pasta. Since you’ll be baking the spaghetti afterward, do your best to boil it al dente, where the noodles are still a little firm. Overcooking the pasta can result in a mushy casserole.
Let the casserole rest before serving. After the million dollar spaghetti casserole is out of the oven, allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it. This lets the sauce and cheese set up a bit, for firmer slices.
Want to make this dish vegetarian? Leave out the sausage and sub the ground meat with your favorite vegetarian alternative meat, such as Beyond Meat.
Use another pasta. Technically, it won’t be million dollar spaghetti, but this recipe will still turn out great with another pasta variety. Try linguine, angel hair pasta, or tubular pasta like penne or ziti.

A serving of million dollar spaghetti served on a plate with forks.

Serving Suggestions

Crusty bread is a must-have side with any pasta dinner in our house. Other times, I’ll make a quick batch of dinner rolls. If you’d like to round out your meal with some greens, try a refreshing cucumber salad or this avocado tomato salad.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Fridge. Once your leftover million dollar spaghetti has cooled, store the casserole airtight and refrigerate it for up to 4-5 days. Reheat servings in the microwave, or you can reheat larger portions in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through.
Freezer. Freeze any leftovers covered tightly for up to 3 months. Alternatively, if you’re making this casserole ahead, you can freeze the unbaked casserole airtight. Thaw the spaghetti casserole in the fridge overnight before baking or reheating as directed.