Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese

Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese

This pasta casserole dish is somewhat similar to Million Dollar Spaghetti. Somewhat because it only uses two types of cheese–mozzarella and cream cheese. It has no sour cream or cottage cheese.

I guess you could call it “a simpler Million Dollar spaghetti” recipe.

Having said that, this dish is far from being just a simple baked spaghetti because:

• The meat sauce is delicious and flavorful. Not bland at all!
• The cream cheese sauce is made even more delicious by combining it with cheddar cheese. So good!

Meat Sauce Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you need to make the meat sauce:

• Ground Beef, Pork, or Chicken – I use lean ground meat. You can also use ground turkey and Italian sausage.
• Marinara Sauce – use your favorite bottled pasta sauce. So convenient and a time-saver!
• Broth – enhances the overall flavor of the meat sauce. You can use homemade broth or dissolve chicken bouillon, or beef bouillon cubes in hot water.
• Worcestershire – for depth of flavor.
• Butter – you can also use olive oil.
• Onion and Garlic – another flavor booster for the pasta sauce.
• Bell Pepper – use red or green bell pepper or both. Finely chop or use a food processor for convenience.
• Dried Herbs (optional) – like Italian seasoning, dried chili flakes, Herbes de Provence, dried oregano, or even fresh basil. This will help boost the flavor of the meat sauce. Totally fine if you don’t have it.

Cream Cheese Sauce Ingredients

To make the cream cheese sauce mixture, you will need:

• Cream Cheese and Cheddar Cheese – since cream cheese is pretty mild, the cheddar cheese will boost its flavor by adding a hint of “sharpness”.
• Milk – helps loosen the texture of the cheese, and thus can easily coat the strands of spaghetti.
• Mozzarella – for that irresistible gooey-cheesy molten top.

How to Make It

And this is how to make the creamy and cheesy baked spaghetti:

1. Make the Meat Sauce

You can make the meat sauce ahead and then do the assembly just before dinner time.

💭 Cooking tips:

• Use a deep pot to make the meat sauce to prevent the liquid from evaporating too quickly. This also prevents splatters and boil-overs.
• While browning the meat, season it with salt and black pepper to enhance its flavor.
• Simmer the for 20 minutes and it’s ready! The beauty of using jarred pasta sauce is that you shorten the cooking time. Typically, you need 45 minutes to 1 hour to develop the pasta sauce’s full flavor.

2. Cook the Spaghetti

When making baked spaghetti, it’s recommended to cook the pasta slightly underdone or less than al dente. This ensures that it remains firm and maintains a better texture after baking.

If you start with spaghetti that’s overcooked, it can become overcooked and mushy during the baking process.

💭 Tip: Use good quality dried spaghetti pasta so it doesn’t become mushy after baking.

3. Make the Cream Cheese Sauce

Make the cream cheese sauce just before the pasta finishes cooking.

It’s as easy as combining all the ingredients in a large bowl then microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every 1 minute as needed.

You can also cook it in a small pot on a stovetop over medium heat. Stir until the cheese is melted and the consistency becomes smooth.

4. Assemble and Bake

When everything is ready, we’re now ready to assemble. And here’s how to do it.

In a large bowl, mix the pasta, and cream cheese sauce first. Add half of the meat sauce, and give it a quick toss. Spread the pasta in the baking dish. Pour the remaining meat sauce on top. Sprinkle generously with mozzarella cheese.

Cover loosely with a foil to prevent the cheese from burning. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the foil. Bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is completely melted.

That is it! Easy-peasy!

Love pasta? Try these recipes…

• Stovetop Mac and Cheese with Bacon
• Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad
• Easy Chicken Spaghetti
• One Pot Bacon and Mushroom Pasta