Creamy Cheesy Pasta Bake (Printable Format)
A hearty pasta casserole featuring spaghetti coated in cream cheese, topped with seasoned meat sauce and a blanket of melted mozzarella and Parmesan.
# What You'll Gather:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
1 lb. spaghetti noodles
02 -
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
03 -
2 lb. ground beef
04 -
8 oz. cream cheese
05 -
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
06 -
2 tsp. minced garlic
07 -
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
08 -
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
09 -
Salt and pepper, to taste
# Step-by-Step Instructions:
01 -
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
02 -
Cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
03 -
Return the hot spaghetti to the pot and add the cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is melted and thoroughly mixed with the pasta.
04 -
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Drain any excess grease.
05 -
Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning to the beef and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the spaghetti sauce and stir to combine. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
06 -
Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Spread about 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add the cream cheese spaghetti on top, then cover with the remaining meat sauce.
07 -
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.
08 -
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the edges are slightly crispy.
# Important Tips:
01 -
You can use ground turkey or Italian sausage instead of ground beef
02 -
For a creamier version, add 1/2 cup of sour cream to the pasta and cream cheese mixture
03 -
This dish freezes well - prepare up to the baking step, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months