I am so excited to share one of my family’s all-time favorite pasta recipes, this baked spaghetti with cream cheese recipe was an instant sensation in my house. None of my other spaghetti recipes inspire the same amount of enthusiastic arguing over leftovers (when there are any!).
The cream cheese and marinara sauce coat each and every spaghetti noodle to perfection. Then I top it off with a layer of Parmesan cheese AND french fried onions.
Let me tell ya, that topping is ah-mazing, and it’s the secret to this recipe’s success! My mouth is watering just thinking about baked spaghetti with cream cheese!
Let’s head to the kitchen and get cookin’!
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What I Love About Baked Spaghetti With Cream Cheese Recipe
This baked spaghetti with cream cheese recipe is one of my family’s all-time favorites. Here are some of the highlights!
- The creamy tomato sauce
- The crispy fried onion topping
- Makes plenty to go around
- Straightforward prep
Baked Spaghetti Recipe Notes
This baked spaghetti with cream cheese recipe comes together easily. Here are a few notes to help you out!
Pasta Prep: As with all baked spaghetti recipes, you want to make sure you use good pasta prep techniques and don’t overcook your pasta when you boil it. Leave a little bite in it, and it will finish cooking in the oven!
The Sauce: I use two layers to make this cream cheese spaghetti sauce. I find the cream component of the sauce comes together easier if your cream cheese and milk can sit out for about 30 minutes first. If your cream cheese is fresh from the fridge, I recommend cutting it into small cubes to help it melt faster.
Ingredient Notes
Pasta: I like spaghetti for this recipe since the noodles can get a generous coating of sauce. You can use any type of pasta you have on hand! For shorter pasta, you’ll likely need a bit more than 8 ounces of dry pasta.
Spaghetti Storing Tips
To maximize the freshness of your leftovers, make sure you store this baked spaghetti with cream cheese recipe in a container with a tight-fitting lid to prevent it from drying out. I prefer to store spaghetti in glass containers because of the tomato-based sauce.
Can You Freeze This?
This is a great make and freeze dish. Follow the instruction up to the point of baking. Allow it to cool completely before wrapping it well in cling wrap and putting it in the freezer.
Do not top with the onions before freezing. Wait and put them on at the end of the bake as instructed.
Make Ahead Tips
As mentioned above, this baked spaghetti with cream cheese recipe freezes really well. It will taste as fresh as if you made it that day! You can also make ahead to the point of baking and put it in the fridge for a day or two. It’s a great way to make this a mid-week meal!
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
This baked spaghetti with cream cheese recipe will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, according to food safety guidelines. It will keep in the freezer for several months.
Recipe Variations
Always remember that pasta recipes can be endlessly adapted to your individual tastes and needs. Here are some ideas to inspire you!
Can This Be Made With A Mexican Twist?
Taco spaghetti may sound crazy, but I think it’s a great twist on tradition. You could play with the flavors of this recipe or check out Mexican Spaghetti for a cheesy, south of the border spaghetti bake that might just replace your taco Tuesday routine!
Can I Cook This In An Instant Pot Instead?
To convert this to an Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe, you would have to adjust the moisture level. Typically, recipes like Instant pot spaghetti and meatballs call for about 3-4 cups of water because the pasta and sauce are cooked together.
I don’t think it would be a good option with the cream cheese, and you wouldn’t be able to crisp the onions on top. I’d stick to the oven on this one!
Can I Cook This Using Crockpot?
I think the crockpot method would have the same issues as the Instant pot method for this baked spaghetti with cream cheese recipe. You’re going to get the best results after a trip through the oven, but don’t worry! I’ve got you covered with a great crockpot spaghetti recipe!
You’ll love the convenience, and the sauce is delish!
Can I Use Chicken Instead?
Chicken spaghetti is a fantastic way to change up this recipe. You can simply swap out a pound of cooked, shredded chicken for the ground beef.
If you’re looking for an ultra-creamy, cheesy chicken pasta, I suggest my chicken spaghetti with Rotel. It’s a family favorite!
What Other Bake Spaghetti Can I Make?
I love baked spaghetti with cream cheese sour cream and cottage cheese. The time in the oven allows the cream and sauce to bake into the pasta for a thick, casserole-like dish.
Baking is an extra step, but it’s oh, so worth it. Other excellent spaghetti bakes are chicken spaghetti bake, and nothing beats a simple cheesy baked spaghetti!
Baked Spaghetti With Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried spaghetti uncooked
- 2 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce~ divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- as needed olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup sweet red pepper, ribs and seeds removed then diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ounces--(1 1/2--8ounce packages) 8-Ounce Packages Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature, and cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese grated
- 1-2 cup french fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9X13 inch baking dish; set aside.
- Cook Spaghetti according to package directions, just until al dente. Drain well and return cooked pasta to original pot it was cooked in. Add 1 jar of prepared marinara sauce and toss to evenly coat pasta.
- In a large skillet, brown beef adding the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and cook until there is no longer any pink. Remove cooked beef to a paper towel lined plate; set aside. Drain and discard all but 2 tablespoon of fat from skillet. If you don't have 2 tablespoon of oil, add enough olive oil to compensate. (Just eyeball this. You only need enough oil to saute the veggies.)
- In a medium bowl mix the cooked beef and remaining 1 jar of prepared marinara sauce.
- Add onions, red peppers, and garlic to skillet and saute until they are soft. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and Mozzarella to skillet and stir until well combined. Set aside.
- In prepared baking dish, add about 1/3 of a cup of sauce-meat mixture, and spread to cover bottom of dish.
- Add all the spaghetti to baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Add the cream cheese-veggie mixture to baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Add the sauce-meat mixture to baking dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake in preheat oven until casserole is baked through the center, about 25 minutes.
- Remove casserole and top with the french fried onions and bake another 5 minutes, watching carefully so onions do not burn. SERVE!
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More Spaghetti Recipes
There are endless variations of spaghetti dishes that are all as delicious as the original! Check out these Spaghetti variations!
- Chicken Spaghetti Casserole – Stuffed with chicken, pasta, and yumminess
- Italian Spaghetti – You can’t beat classic Italian flavors
- Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipe – Rich marinara and moist, perfectly spiced meatballs
- Million Dollar Spaghetti – I promise it tastes as good as it sounds!
- Spaghetti Recipe With Ground Beef – Traditional but by no means boring
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Yum this sounds amazing!! I love love love the addition of the fried onions. I could eat those all day every day. I need to make this.
Hi Alli. Me too! Love fried onions 🙂 Hope you enjoy the spaghetti!
You don’t need to cook the noodles first?
Hey Shelley. Step 2 in the instructions directs you to cooking the pasta according to the package directions. Does that help?
Can you tell me about how many this serves?
Hi Jeannie. It serves 6-8 😉
Hi,
Can you please tell me what French Fried Onions are? I am in Australia, not sure I have ever seen a tin?
Thanks
Hi Margaret! They’re like a thinly battered, 1 inch diameter, shoe string onion ring. Hope that helps!
Margaret: They’re a canned dried product from Durkee’s/French’s in the USA.I checked eBay-Australia. Not available down under. Easily made from scratch. See http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fried-onion-rings/.
Thanks so much for the info!
My favorite recipe find of the century!! Soooooo delicious. Company worthy.
Thanks Connie! I’m so happy you think so 🙂
Loved it! I didn’t have spaghetti noodles so I improvised! Also I mixed the noodles right in with the cream cheese mixture before putting in the pan. My family loved it!
Cheryl so happy to hear it!
I make something similar, but with potatoes and an alfredo type sauce. This sounds even better!
Where I’d you get that beautiful dish?
My favorite place Home Goods and they had a few other fun shapes!!!
I use a large can of the fried onions and in another (almost identical recipe I have) to save a bit of time you can put the butter and your veggies in a glass bowl and microwave for 2-3 minutes. Unbelievably, this “sautes” them! Then add in the cream cheese (I also use Cream Cheese with Chives for this recipe) and stir. The heated veggies melt down the cream cheese 🙂
That looks ridiculously good, wow!
No where could I find what you did with the parmesan cheese?
Did I miss something?
Hey Nancy, it was me that missed something! I’ve update the recipe. Thanks so much 🙂
So you would bake this first, then freeze? Any idea how long to bake once thawed to reheat?
omg! it’s after midnight here and now all i can think about is getting a plate of that spaghetti…lol
It does sound perfect for every pot luck, a must try ..