Description
Million-dollar spaghetti blends Italian pasta traditions with hearty Midwestern comfort. Cheese-laden layers and rich meat sauce promise a memorable family dinner that satisfies deeply.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (226 grams) shredded mozzarella cheese
- ⅔ cup (150 grams) grated Parmesan cheese
- 24 oz (680 grams) marinara sauce
- 1 cup (226 grams) cottage cheese
- ½ lb (227 grams) ground beef
- ½ lb (227 grams) Italian sausage
- 16 oz (453 grams) spaghetti noodles
- 8 oz (227 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsps (45 grams) butter, sliced
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) sour cream
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Submerge spaghetti strands in heavily salted boiling water, cooking until al dente. Drain completely and set aside for layering.
- Meat Sauce Creation: Brown ground beef and sausage in a large skillet, draining excess fat. Sauté onions and garlic until fragrant, then blend with marinara sauce. Simmer the mixture to develop deep, robust flavors, reserving a small portion of sauce for final topping.
- Cheese Mixture Fusion: Whisk cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese until achieving a silky, homogeneous texture that will serve as a creamy interior layer.
- Assembly and Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange butter slices across baking dish bottom. Layer half the cooked spaghetti, spread the creamy cheese mixture evenly, then top with remaining pasta and additional butter slices.
- Sauce and Cheese Topping: Pour meat sauce completely over layered pasta, ensuring thorough coverage. Drizzle reserved marinara and generously scatter mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses across the surface.
- Baking Process: Bake uncovered until casserole becomes bubbling and cheese transforms into a golden, crispy crust. If cheese browns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Resting and Serving: Remove from oven and allow casserole to rest for several minutes, enabling flavors to harmonize and facilitating cleaner, more precise serving portions.
Notes
- Pasta Perfection: Cook spaghetti al dente to prevent mushiness, ensuring it maintains a slight firmness when biting. Slightly undercook pasta by 1-2 minutes as it will continue cooking in the oven.
- Fat Management: Drain ground beef and sausage thoroughly to avoid a greasy final dish. Use a paper towel-lined colander to remove excess fat effectively.
- Cheese Mixing Technique: Bring cream cheese to room temperature before mixing to achieve a smoother, lump-free cheese blend. Whisk ingredients until completely integrated for a silky consistency.
- Baking Precision: Cover with foil if cheese browns too quickly, protecting the top while allowing the casserole to cook evenly. Let the dish rest 10-15 minutes after baking to help it set and make serving easier.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 545
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 1000 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg