Description
Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole brings comfort straight to your dinner table with zero fuss. Creamy, cheesy goodness gets tucked into perfectly cooked pasta, making weeknight dinners deliciously simple.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 12 oz spaghetti noodles
Dairy and Cheese:
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
Seasonings and Sauce:
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara or pasta sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 350F and coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook 12 oz spaghetti in salted water until al dente, then drain completely.
- Brown 1 lb ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, seasoning with 1 tsp garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Drain beef’s excess fat, then stir in 24 oz marinara sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Blend 8 oz softened cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream, and ½ cup Parmesan until silky smooth.
- Arrange half the spaghetti in your prepared dish, spreading the cream cheese mixture evenly across the noodles.
- Layer remaining spaghetti over the cream cheese mixture.
- Cascade meat sauce across the top, ensuring complete coverage.
- Shower 1 cup mozzarella cheese over the entire casserole.
- Bake uncovered at 350F for 25-30 minutes until cheese melts and edges bubble.
- Sprinkle chopped parsley on top for a fresh finish if desired.
Notes
- Cream cheese temperature matters, so let it sit out for 30 minutes before mixing to ensure a smooth, creamy texture without lumps.
- For a lighter version, swap ground beef with ground turkey and use reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream.
- Drain pasta and meat thoroughly to prevent a watery casserole, which can make the dish soggy instead of perfectly creamy.
- Fresh herbs like basil or parsley add a bright, fresh flavor and make the casserole look more appetizing when serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg