Baked Spaghetti With Cream Cheese

Pasta and marinara & cream sauce come together in this simple baked spaghetti with cream cheese recipe. A French fried onion topping adds flavor and crunch!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Baked Spaghetti With Cream Cheese, Baked Spaghetti With Cream Cheese Recipe, How Do I Make Baked Spaghetti With Cream Cheese, How To Make Baked Spaghetti With Cream Cheese

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings -8 servings

Calories 716kcal

Author Kathleen

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 -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 to 2 cups french fried onions

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Butter a 9X13 inch baking dish; set aside.
Cook spaghetti (16 ounces) according to package directions, just until al dente. Drain well and return the cooked pasta to the original pot it was cooked in. Add 1 jar of prepared marinara sauce and toss to evenly coat the pasta.
In a large skillet, brown the beef (1 pound), add the Italian seasoning (1 tablespoon), salt (1 teaspoon), and pepper (1/2 teaspoon), and cook until there is no longer any pink. Remove the cooked beef to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Drain and discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. If you don't have 2 tablespoons 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 (1 cup), red peppers (1/2 cup), and garlic (4 cloves) to skillet and saute until they are soft. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese (12 ounces), sour cream (1/4 cup), and Mozzarella (2 cups) to the 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 the baking dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese (1 1/2 cups).
Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is baked through the center, about 25 minutes.
Remove the casserole and top with the french fried onions (1-2 cups) and bake another 5 minutes, watching carefully so the onions do not burn. SERVE!

Notes

Prevent dryness. Make sure the pasta is fully coated in sauce before layering — naked noodles are the #1 cause of dry baked spaghetti.
Cream cheese insurance. If your cream cheese still feels firm, cut it into small cubes before stirring so it melts evenly without lumps.
Make-ahead friendly. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Cover tightly and add a few extra minutes to the bake time if starting cold.
Freezer success. Freeze the baked casserole without the onion topping. Add the onions fresh after reheating for the best texture.

Nutrition