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Million Dollar Spaghetti takes baked spaghetti to a whole new level. That cheesy, cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta layer makes it so dreamy! One bite and you’ll ask, “Wait… why have I not been making spaghetti like this my whole life?”
A Reader’s Review
This old lady loves this stuff as much as the grandkids.
I had to double the recipe so I could send home a container for each of them!
Ree
Why You Need This Creamy Dreamy Spaghetti
- No dry noodles here: The pasta bakes up perfectly saucy and tender, never dry, never bland, always chef’s kiss.
- Cream cheese layer = magic! It melts into a rich, velvety layer that takes this dish from basic to unforgettable.
- Mom-tested, chaos-approved: I make this on my busiest nights because it’s fast, hearty and my kids inhale it.
Million Dollar Spaghetti Ingredients
- Pasta: You don’t have to stick with spaghetti noodles. Swap them out for 16 ounces of penne or your favorite hearty noodle.
- Marinara: You can use homemade, but jarred sauce keeps this dinner quick and your sanity intact.
- The Meats! You can use all Italian sausage or all ground beef, just make sure it adds up to a full pound! Ground turkey or chicken works great, too, if you want a lighter option.
- Variations: You can replace the cottage cheese with more ricotta and vice versa. The sour cream can be replaced with plain Greek yogurt.
How to Make Million Dollar Spaghetti
This Million Dollar Spaghetti casserole is easy to throw together. No fancy steps just simple ingredients, a few minutes of prep, and then the oven does the rest.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13 x 2 or 3-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Toss the cooked spaghetti in a bowl with the marinara sauce until the noodles are coated. Add the noodles to the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Cook Meat: Add the olive oil to a large 14-inch skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes. Drain any grease.
- Add Onion and Garlic: Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Stir In Marinara: Turn off the heat and stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Make Million Dollar Mixture: Add the cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan to a medium bowl. Mix until evenly combined.
- Add Butter: Evenly distribute the slices of butter on top of the noodles in the baking dish.
- Layer Million Dollar Mixture: Spread the million dollar mixture on top of the noodles.
- Bake: Add the meat sauce on top of the million dollar mixture, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella evenly over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
This million dollar spaghetti recipe makes enough for 12 servings. If you do have leftovers, here is how to store them!
- In the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container or cover the dish you baked it in with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
- Make Ahead: This dish is perfect to assemble the night before and bake the next day. Let it come to room temp, then add 20 extra minutes to bake until it’s 165°F inside.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes To Try
I am always up for a great pasta dish! If you are looking for some more delicious pasta recipes, you’ve got to try this Pasta Primavera, this yummy Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta, and this Spinach Artichoke Pasta. Here are a few more to try!
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Million Dollar Spaghetti Recipe
Spaghetti and meat sauce are classic, but my special million dollar creamy cheese layer is what makes my Million Dollar Spaghetti unforgettable!
Ingredients
Spaghetti
- 12 ounces spaghetti noodles cooked until al dente
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- ¼ cup sliced salted butter
Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound ground mild Italian sausage
- ¼ cup diced onion about half a small onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 4 cups jarred marinara sauce or homemade
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Million Dollar Cheese
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13 x 2 or 3-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Spaghetti Layer
- Toss 12 ounces spaghetti noodles cooked until al dente, in a bowl with 1 cup marinara sauce until the noodles are coated.
Meat Layer
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large 14-inch skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound lean ground beef and ½ pound ground mild Italian sausage and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes. Drain any grease.
- Add ¼ cup diced onion and 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Turn off the heat and stir in 4 cups jarred marinara sauce, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Creamy Cheese Layer
- Add 8 ounces softened cream cheese, ⅓ cup sour cream, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, and ½ cup grated parmesan cheese to a medium bowl and mix until evenly combined.
Assembly
- Add the spaghetti mixture to the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- Evenly distribute ¼ cup sliced salted butter on top of the noodles. Spread the million dollar mixture on top of the noodles.
- Add the meat sauce on top of the million dollar mixture, then sprinkle 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned.
Video
Notes
Updated April 22, 2025
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 435kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 24gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 976mgPotassium: 583mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1142IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 250mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
It was a complete miss for me personally. Just found it to be an unappetizing globby mess.
If I want to serve the recipe for 16. Do I use 3x
The recipe serves 12, so 2x should be fine!
Most EXCELLENT as written. Thank you from someone who cooks a ton!!!
Great recipe! Delicious, quick and easy.
Is the sour cream necessary? I don’t have any and don’t want to go to the store.
This old lady loves this stuff as much as the grandkids.
I had to double the recipe so t could send home a container for each of them!
Hi Alyssa:
Can ground chicken be substituted for ground beef?
Thank you and thanks for all the great recipes 😉
Yes, that will work!
Made this for dinner today….was delicious! The only complaints from the family was that there wasn’t enough noodles. Next time I may make it with a hartier pasta like penne.
Have you had any success freezing this recipe? Cheers!
You can freeze this recipe! Make the meal according to the directions but don’t bake it. Cover it with foil (don’t forget to label it with the date!) and it will last for about 3 months in the freezer. To cook it, thaw it overnight in your fridge and then cook as directed.