Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti made small-batch style! Perfect for a small family or two people with leftovers. It's rich, creamy, and so easy to make.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Why You'll Love This Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti

If you love baked spaghetti but don't love leftovers that last all week, this small-batch Million Dollar Spaghetti is for you. I first made baked spaghetti for my family years ago, and it quickly became a favorite they couldn't get enough of. Now, I've perfected a version that's just right for my husband and I---giving us a cozy dinner and just enough leftovers to enjoy again the next day without any waste.

This baked spaghetti is incredibly easy to make and assemble. It's layered with tender pasta, a creamy cheese mixture, flavorful meat sauce, and plenty of melted cheese on top, all baked until bubbly and delicious. I also love how well it holds together-almost like a lasagna, but with a fun twist on classic spaghetti.

If you love spaghetti, you'll love my Slow Cooker Spaghetti Casserole. So easy to assemble and quick clean-up.

Watch Me Make Million Dollar Spaghetti

Ingredients You Need For Baked Spaghetti

Ground beef- Lean ground beef is a nice option to prevent the baked spaghetti from becoming greasy.
Aromatics- Onions and garlic
Spaghetti noodles
Pasta sauce- Choose a quality pasta sauce for the best flavor.
Cheese layer- Cream cheese, cottage cheese, & sour cream
Egg, butter, and parmesan cheese help bind the noodles.
Mozzarella cheese
Pantry seasonings
Spinach (optional) but a great way to sneak in veggies.

Ingredients displayed for million dollar baked spaghetti. ground beef, onions, garlic, seasonings, noodles, pasta sauce, cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, egg, butter, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and spinach.

How To Make Million Dollar Spaghetti

Here is a basic overview of the recipe instructions. See the full details in the printable recipe card below.

Prepare meat sauce- Brown ground beef with onions and garlic, then stir in seasonings, pasta sauce, and spinach. Simmer for a few minutes.

Ground beef and onions cooked in a skillet.

Cook pasta and prepare cheese mixture- Cook pasta until al dente, drain, then combine with butter, parmesan cheese, and egg. Next stir together cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese.

Cooked spaghetti cooked and combined with egg, parmesan cheese, and butter.

Cheese mixture combined with cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream.

Layer casserole- In a baking dish, layer half of the cooked noodles, followed by the creamy cheese mixture. Add the remaining noodles, then top with the meat sauce and plenty of mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Rest baked spaghetti for at least 10-minutes before slicing to make sure it holds together.

Ang's Helpful Suggestions and Variations

Softened cream cheese- It's helpful to make sure the cream cheese is super soft before combining with the sour cream and cottage cheese. This will ensure an even spread over the noodles.
Don't overcook the pasta- The pasta should only be cooked al dente to prevent it from overcooking while it bakes in the oven.
Combining spaghetti with egg- Slowly stir the whisked egg into the hot spaghetti, tossing continuously so the egg coats the noodles without scrambling.
Additional veggie options- Mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers.
Ground meat options include turkey or Italian sausage.
Ricotta cheese in place of cottage cheese.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Make-ahead up to 2 days in advance. Simply follow the instructions up until the baking time. Allow to cool completely, then cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Follow the baking instructions, but note - you may need to bake longer after the refrigeration time.

Frequently Asked Question

Can I freeze baked spaghetti? Yes! You can freeze unbaked or baked. Make sure the casserole is completely cooled and cover tightly with two layers of foil. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw, and bake as directed adding additional time as needed.

What To Serve With Bake Spaghetti

This spaghetti bake is perfect with a side salad and my Crispy Parmesan Cheese Toast, or try one of the options below!

Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti

Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti made small-batch style! Perfect for a small family or two people with leftovers. It's rich, creamy, and so easy to make.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Resting time: 10

Total Time: 1

Servings: servings

Calories: 622kcal

Equipment

9 × 9 inch baking dish I use a 10 × 7 baking dish.
medium skillet
stock pot

Ingredients

½ lb lean ground beef
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti noodles
½ cup yellow onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 ½ cups pasta sauce
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper
2 cups baby spinach, measured then roughly chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 ½ tablespoon butter, melted
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoon sour cream
½ cup cottage cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

Heat oven to 350℉. Grease or spray a 9 × 9 inch baking dish. I use a 10 × 7 baking dish.

Heat a large skillet to medium heat and brown ground beef. Remove excess grease then add onions and garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes until onions have softened. Next stir in pasta sauce, seasonings, and spinach. Turn heat to low and simmer 5-minutes then pull off the heat.
Meanwhile cook spaghetti noodles according to the package directions for al dente. Drain but do not rinse. Place noodles back in the pot or a large bowl and add melted butter, parmesan cheese, and slowly drizzle in beaten egg, using tongs to toss while you add the egg so they don't scramble. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese. The mixture should be soft and spreadable.
Place half of the prepared spaghetti in the bottom of your baking dish, followed by the cheese mixture. Use a knife or the back of a spoon to spread evenly over the pasta. Next add the rest of the noodles, then the meat sauce, and finally sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the oven uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until hot, bubbly, and lightly browned on top. Allow to rest 10-minutes then slice into squares.

Notes

Did you make this recipe? I'd love to know how it turned out for you! Leave a quick star rating below or let me know one thing you changed or loved.

Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave but we love to heat in the oven at 300℉ until warmed through.

You can also freeze this casserole baked or unbaked up to 2 months. Make sure to use double foil when freezing or store in a freezer safe container.

See post for additional tips, variations and suggestions.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Try These Next!

Looking for more recipes that taste like a million bucks? Try my easy Skillet Ravioli With Meat Sauce, or even easier, my Easy Meat Sauce with Mushrooms takes under 30-minutes. You'll also love this simple vegetarian One-Skillet Gnocchi With Spinach. If you love casseroles like me, you have to make this Italian Meatball Casserole, so hearty comforting, or my Beef Enchilada Casserole, which is also great for smaller families.

Note: Some of the links on my website are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra charge to you.

Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti (Small-Batch Recipe)