Description
This Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole is a delicious and easy-to-make comfort food dish, featuring layers of creamy cream cheese-coated spaghetti, savory ground beef tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese baked to golden perfection. Perfect for feeding a crowd, it combines classic Italian flavors with a creamy twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Cream Cheese Mixture
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (included above)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (included above)
- 1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
Cheese Topping
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook the Meat: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain off any excess grease to keep the sauce leaner.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the chopped onion and green bell pepper to the skillet with the beef. Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add Sauce Ingredients: Stir in the undrained diced tomatoes and green chilies along with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to the meat mixture.
- Simmer Sauce: Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the sauce simmer for at least 15 minutes to meld the flavors, stirring occasionally.
- Cook Spaghetti: While the meat sauce simmers, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well to remove excess water.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese and melted butter. Mix until smooth.
- Add Parmesan and Milk: Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and milk into the cream cheese mixture until creamy and well blended.
- Season the Mixture: Add garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to preference.
- Combine Pasta and Cream Cheese: Add the cooked spaghetti to the cream cheese mixture and toss gently to coat the pasta evenly with the creamy sauce.
- Layer First Spaghetti Portion: Pour half of the spaghetti mixture into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish, spreading it evenly in the dish.
- Add First Meat Sauce Layer: Spoon half of the prepared meat sauce over the spaghetti layer, spreading it evenly.
- Sprinkle Mozzarella Cheese: Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the meat sauce.
- Repeat Layers: Repeat the layering process with the remaining spaghetti mixture, meat sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the Casserole: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the assembled casserole for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden brown.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving to allow it to set.
Notes
- For a deeper flavor, simmer the meat sauce for up to 30 minutes if time allows.
- Make sure to drain the spaghetti well before mixing to avoid a watery casserole.
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for a lighter meat option.
- Use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat mozzarella to reduce fat content.
- Adding some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce can provide a spicy kick if desired.
