If you’ve never baked your spaghetti before then you’re in for a real treat with this Cheesy Baked Spaghetti recipe! It’s like a hybrid of spaghetti and lasagna, otherwise referred to as a baked spaghetti casserole.
I always get excited about making well known dishes in different ways – it adds variety to a dish without completely overhauling the ingredients list and is a great way to keep things interesting for the family while you don’t have to go trying brand new recipes all of the time. 
The cheesy top layer of this baked spaghetti provides crispy edges as you’d expect from a typical lasagna dish, while the baking process adds some extra time for the flavors of the dish to intensify!
Since it’s assembled in a typical casserole dish, this Cheesy Baked Spaghetti is ideal for storing as a freezer meal for those busy weeknights. 
How to Make Cheesy Bakes Spaghetti
- Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente.
- While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce. In a large skillet, brown ground beef until just about done. Add onion and cook until no pink remains in beef and onions are soft.
- Add garlic, parsley and basil and stir together.
- Stir in pasta sauce. Bring to simmer and cook 5-6 minutes or until flavors have combined well.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Coat 13×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Remove pasta from stove and drain well, transfer to large bowl.
- Add eggs, salt and butter to pasta and toss to combine.
- Place half of the pasta mixture in the baking dish.
- Add half of the meat sauce, then half of the cottage cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat layers. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and continue baking for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh herbs if desired.
HOW SHOULD I STORE CHEESY BAKED SPAGHETTI?
Whether you plan on making this Cheesy Baked Spaghetti ahead of time or have leftovers, you have two options of storage available:
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container or wrap the casserole dish with plastic wrap and tin foil.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months, again storing in an airtight container or wrapped if stored in the casserole dish.
In both instances, you must ensure that the Cheesy Baked Spaghetti has fully cooled prior to storing.
To reheat from frozen, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in the oven, covering it with tinfoil to prevent the cheese from burning.
WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH THIS CHEESY BAKED SPAGHETTI?
This Cheesy Baked Spaghetti can either be enjoyed as it is since it’s such a hearty dish or you could add one or more of the following side dish options (particularly helpful if you are feeding a larger crowd):
- Garlic bread or homemade dinner rolls;
- A fresh leafy salad; or
- A side of vegetables like these Honey Glazed Carrots
Comforting Pasta Dish Everyone Will Love!
If you’ve never baked your spaghetti before then you’re in for a real treat with this Cheesy Baked Spaghetti recipe!
- 1 box 16 oz spaghetti noodles
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 jar 24 oz meatless pasta sauce
- 2 large eggs slightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup ½ stick unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 2 cups small curd cottage cheese divided
- Serving optional
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh basil
-
Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce.
-
In a large skillet, brown ground beef until just about done. Add onion and cook until no pink remains in beef and onions are soft.
-
Add garlic, parsley and basil and stir together.
-
Stir in pasta sauce. Bring to simmer and cook 5-6 minutes or until flavors have combined well
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-
Coat 13×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Remove pasta from stove and drain well, transfer to large bowl.
-
Add eggs, salt and butter to pasta and toss to combine.
-
Place half of the pasta mixture in the baking dish
-
Add half of the meat sauce, then half of the cottage cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese
-
Repeat layers. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and continue baking for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly
-
Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh herbs if desired.
Leave a Reply