Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti is creamy and cheesy, topped with meat sauce and extra bubbly cheese, like a cross between ziti and lasagna!
Pasta bakes are an easy way to make your favorite Italian Recipes that feed a big crowd, and that the kids will love too! This recipe is cheesy, beefy, and satisfies everyone, just like Cheesy Beef Pasta Bake, Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Ravioli Lasagna Bake.
Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti is a hit with many families, and it isn’t hard to see why. With melted cheese, cream cheese, meat, and Homemade Marinara Sauce, and perfect as a make-ahead meal you can freeze, this dish is a perfect meal in a pan and even better served with a nice side salad.
It may seem like there is a lot of meat and cheese going on in this 9×13 pan, but you can probably get 12 portions out of the meal, 9 if you’ve got a lot of hungry people to serve. The flavors are rich enough that a smaller portion is enough to satisfy.
You’ll want to let the Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti cool for about 5-10 minutes when it comes out of the oven. It is easier to cut into perfect squares using this silicone spatula which has a great shape to it. The presentation is fun when cut neatly into squares, but even if you scoop it out with tongs or a spoon, it will taste delicious! Serve Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti with Garlic Bread and a copycat Olive Garden Salad for an easy and complete Italian meal your family will love.
How to Make Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti
Whip up a delectable and satisfying Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti at home with this easy-to-follow recipe. This dish combines the comfort of pasta with the richness of cream cheese and mozzarella. Check it out!
- Step One: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and cook the spaghetti two minutes shy of the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Step Two: Brown the ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large skillet. Drain the liquid, then mix in one cup of marinara sauce.
- Step Three: Toss the cooked spaghetti with the remaining 5 cups of marinara sauce, then layer half of it in a 9×13 baking dish. Spread a mixture of softened cream cheese and 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the layers of noodles, followed by the remaining pasta/sauce mixture.
- Step Four: Add the meat sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Try making this pasta bake with Italian sausage instead of ground beef, or lighten it up with ground Italian chicken or turkey sausage, or chunks of grilled chicken breast.
Use chunks of cooked chicken with a creamy Alfredo sauce for a Chicken Alfredo Million Dollar Spaghetti (optional you can also toss in frozen peas). Or leave out the meat altogether and use spinach, lemon juice, and lemon zest with a creamy Alfredo sauce for a vegetarian take.
Add roasted vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and red onion in addition to or in place of the meat.
Yes, it’s so much fun! Instead of ground beef, use chopped pepperoni, chopped bell peppers, onions, and sliced olives for a combination pizza flavor.
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Key Ingredients in Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti
This Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti recipe brings together simple, easy-to-find ingredients for a mouthwatering meal. The combination of pasta, cheese, and sauce creates a comforting, crowd-pleasing dish. You can easily get all the ingredients from your closest grocery store.
- Spaghetti: The base of this dish, spaghetti noodles provide the perfect texture and shape to hold onto the rich sauce and cheese.
- Ground Beef: Adding a savory, hearty element, lean ground beef can be found in most grocery stores or substituted or combined with ground turkey or ground chicken for a different meat mixture option.
- Marinara Sauce: Homemade Marinara Sauce adds a tangy, slightly sweet flavor that complements creamy cheeses and hearty beef. You can also just use a regular jar of spaghetti sauce in a pinch.
- Cream Cheese: The star ingredient, cream cheese adds a rich, velvety texture and tangy flavor to the dish, making it truly indulgent.
- Mozzarella Cheese: This mild, melty cheese brings the dish together, creating a gooey, stretchy layer on top of the baked spaghetti.
Can Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes, Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. Simply follow the recipe up until the baking step, then cover and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, add an additional 10-15 minutes of covered baking time to ensure the dish is heated through.
You can even make this Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti in a double quantity so you have one tray to serve and one to freeze. For making ahead the only difference in the directions would be to follow all the steps until it says to put it in the oven. At that point, top with foil and freeze.
To serve, remove it from the freezer the day before you plan on serving so it can defrost in the fridge. If you don’t remember to remove it, you can expect your cook time to be about an hour long at least.
Substitutions in Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti
- Ground Beef Substitution: You can replace the ground beef with ground turkey or chicken for a leaner option.
- Cream Cheese Substitution: For a lighter version, try using Neufchâtel cheese, which has a similar texture and flavor but fewer calories and fat.
- Mozzarella Cheese Substitution: Feel free to swap the mozzarella cheese with another melty cheese like fontina or provolone for a different flavor profile.
Variations on Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti
This recipe is highly customizable, allowing you to add your favorite ingredients or cater to dietary preferences. Try adding sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or bell peppers for a veggie boost. You can also experiment with different types of pasta like penne, rigatoni, or even gluten-free pasta to suit your preferences.
- Veggie-Packed Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti: Add your favorite vegetables, such as sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or bell peppers, for a more colorful and nutritious meal. Sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top for extra flavor!
- Chicken Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti: Swap the ground beef with shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked, diced chicken breast for a lighter, poultry-based version.
- Gluten-Free Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti: Use gluten-free spaghetti or another gluten-free pasta variety to make this dish suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.
- Spicy Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti: Add some heat to the dish with crushed red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños for a spicy kick.
How to Store Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti
- Serve: Do not leave this recipe, which contains meat and dairy, at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
- Store: Cover with foil or plastic wrap and store Million Dollar Spaghetti in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 1-3 minutes.
- Freeze: To freeze Million Dollar Spaghetti, follow the instructions above for freezer storage prior to baking, and keep frozen for up to 3 months. You can also freeze leftover Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti, just allow it to thaw before reheating it in the microwave or oven.
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti , cooked two minutes shy of directions and drained
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 6 cups Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- parsley , chopped (optional as a garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large skillet add the beef, onions, garlic, salt and pepper into the pan and cook on high.
- Once browned, turn off the heat, drain the liquid left in the pan and mix in one cup of the marinara sauce.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the remaining 5 cups of the marinara sauce and toss to combine.
- Mix the cream cheese and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese in a bowl.
- Add half the pasta/sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
- Add the cream cheese mixture and top with the remaining pasta/sauce mixture.
- Add the meat sauce mixture on top of the pasta and top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly
Video
Nutrition
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Can you tell me what does the cream cheese do to this dish? and is it ok if I just use regular pasta sauce instead of making from scratch
It just gives it pockets of creaminess. You could also use ricotta cheese if you’d like. Store bought pasta sauce can be used for this too. Definitely a time saver! Enjoy!!
Ugh! New job requires me to cook either the night before or 5 am so fam can can a nice dinner before I get home. Here is my question:
Should i bake this dish in its entirety? Or prepare it to the point of not baking it and have one of the kiddos (both teenager) pop it in the oven the following evening?
First off, congrats on the new job! You could honestly do it either way but personally, I would put it all together the night before and have one of your teens put it in the oven to finish. It’s going to need to bake in the oven a little bit longer from being in the refrigerator overnight (maybe an additional 10 min). Enjoy!!
This was absolutely delicious!! Substituted cream cheese with cottage cheese 🙂 and added 2 eggs and parmesan to spaghetti.
Thank you for the suggestions! So glad you enjoyed it!
When freezing, how long would the cook time be after unthawing it in the fridge?
After unthawing, it would be the same cook time.
I add two beaten eggs and do white and yellow cheddar with parmesan. Sometimes I add some buttered bread crumbs for a little crunch! So amazing! Best left overs!!!
Thanks for the suggestions! So glad you love it!
I made 5 trays for our high school varsity football dinner and it was a hit! Delicious and filling,I served it with garlic bread and salad (sadly untouched!). Thanks for the amazing recipe!
How awesome…about them loving the dish not the untouched salad part!! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the 5 star rating!
Turned out excellent. Thank you for the recipe!! 🙂
You’re welcome! Thank you for the 5 star rating!!
Made this last night and it was delicious! Like most I was hesitant about the cream cheese and mozzarella, but it was awesome! Thanks for the recipe! Next time I will make two and freeze the other! I’m a busy mom of three and constantly going and everyone loved this recipe!
So glad everyone enjoyed it!
I’m not quick to award 5 stars but this recipe was so deserving! And for the sheer fact that my finished product looked EXACTLY like the original picture. And, it was nothing short of delicious. I made half the recipe but used 3/4 lbs of ground beef. It fit perfectly into a 7×11 pan. I also used a jar of high quality marinara. When I do make a full batch, I’ll use 2 lbs of beef and bake in the next size up from a 9×13 pan. Otherwise, no substitutions are needed, as it’s divine in flavor and texture. I agree that allowing it to stand for 10 minutes prior to serving (which I did, much to my impatient husband’s chagrin) is a must. Thank you for such a lovely, simple recipe. This is truly so easy, which is what busy cooks are seeking! 🙂
Yes, waiting is the hardest part but I’m glad you were able to convince your husband it’s worth the wait, haha! I’m so glad you loved it and thank you for the 5 stars 🙂
And tomorrow night will be your Mongolian Beef. Stay tuned…
Have you tried a smaller pan? Perhaps 2 8x8s instead of 1 9×13? I’m making this as we prep some freezer meals before baby. And I think 9×13 is too big for just my husband and I, without having dayssss of leftovers.
You could definitely do it that way! Congrats!!
So glad I read your suggestion for the two 8×8’s pan. How long did you cook them? I’d like to cook one and freeze one. Can’t wait.
I would check it around 30-35 minutes when baking.
This looks great! If I freeze it after I make it, how long and at what temperature do I cook it in the oven? Same as in the recipe?
Nevermind! Just saw Kelsey’s question!! Can’t wait to make this. 🙂
What would you suggest for the cook time if it is frozen? 🙂
Probably around an hour, at least.
Love this recipe. It just makes A LOT for our family of 3. I often half it and we still have leftovers!
Great tip though I do love the leftovers too!
Just wondering if this can be put together a day in advance and wait till next day to bake? I would like to make it to take to a friend whose father passed away. But I want to put it together tonight and take it to them refrigerated tomorrow so they can put it in the oven.
So sorry this got caught in my spam folder. Yes, you can either put it together ahead of time to bake the next day or even bake it and refrigerate it to reheat.
Which method do you recommend for reheating on day 2?
Sprinkle a little water over it, cover and reheat using either a microwave or oven to the desired tempature.
Serious success in my house tonight! One bite & my daughter said “OMG!” And I’m no cook! I used our favorite store bought sauce & it worked perfectly. I use onion powder because I hate onions. Tasted fine. I have a problem with cream cheese. Just not my thing. But it was still yummy! Could I try this with ricotta & mozzarella mixed instead? Not sure if you’re still checking comments?!
You definitely could use ricotta and mozzarella! So you glad you all enjoyed it!
How much ricotta ch see?
8 ounces of ricotta 🙂
Made this & both the hubby and I loved it! This is a keeper, thanks for sharing! ?
You’re so welcome Ellie! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Hi! I’m planning on making this for a group of about 40, but I wanted to make this, a white and chicken based version, and a veggie version. Did you change anything else when you tried this with chicken and alfredo sauce? Or the spinach and lemon juice/zest and alfredo sauce? If so, what did you change? Thanks so much for the help!!
If you’re doing the alfredo sauce version and you find your alfredo sauce is sort of thick I’d add a bit of milk to make it thinner. Remember as it bakes it is going to thicken so start with a much looser consistency. With the veggie version depending on the vegetable I wouldn’t add more time. If you add things like carrots or potatoes then yes but if it is things like peas, or bell peppers or squash I wouldn’t bother altering the time. Just keep the pieces small, maybe 3/4 inch or smaller.
Im a little disappointed but it’s totally my fault. I got lazy & bought just any cheese & cream cheese that I found at my local Hispanic market. Turns out, neither of them melted. AT ALL!!!!!! It looked nothing like it did on the picture above. It’s ok though, this won’t be my last try. Will be making sometime in the near future. ?
Oh, bummer 🙁 Definitely try it again with the correct ones and I promise the wait will be worth it!
I dont have marinara on hand but i do have spaghetti sauce. Can i use that instead
Yes, you can make that substitution. The flavor may change a bit due to extra seasoning that might be in the sauce but nothing drastic. Enjoy!
Love!
Next time instead of cream cheese-which WAS very good- I am thinking of trying a ricotta/marscapone mix. My son loved this and he eats NOTHING! thank you for a wonderful stress free dinner, finally!
Yay! You made my day! Anytime I can get kids to enjoy something I feel like I have won the lottery!
Is this a whole box of spaghetti noodles? Wasn’t sure if it’s a pound cooked or uncooked.
Yes, a whole box of spaghetti. Sorry if it was confusing.
Sorry a little confused @ step4. Are you saying mix the oils and juices from ground beef with 1 cup marinara??? If so too late, I already poored juiced off w/o using.
You did it right 🙂 You want to drain the oils out and then add the marinara. I hope you enjoyed it!
Looks delicious! I don’t have cream cheese on hand now and I need to make a pasta dish in the am. Do you think I could substitute ricotta? Sorry I wouldn’t try to change this amazing recipe if I had cream cheese in the fridge. Can’t wait to try it!
Sorry the message got snagged in the spam filter. I would use ricotta in a pinch too, it may not melt as well but I am 100% sure it would be delicious!
I made this for dinner last night and it was a hit. We have 4 picky eaters and they ate it up and even asked for seconds. My husband who has never ate baked spaghetti before even went back for more and had a total of 3 plates.
Awesome!! Anytime the troops are happy I take it as a complete and utter win!
I’m eating this right now and it is delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! thank you so much for coming back and letting me know how it turned out!
How do you spread the cream cheese mixture? I found it to be quite thick even after it softened
I find if I have issues with that a quick zap in the microwave and a bit of water mixed in make it easy to spread, but I usually have no trouble with it when it is totally softened.
Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Definitely adding this recope to the frequent flyer list. Thanks for sharing!
Where do the recipes get saved. couldn’t find.
If you’re talking about the “save” button inside the recipe card, I’m currently using a service called BigOven – you need to have an account with them to save it there. I think most people prefer to save my recipes using Yummly or Pinterest though! 🙂
I press down and copy paste to a memo note app I’ve downloaded
i have to say i was a little bit skeptical when i first saw this recipe with cream cheese in it, then i tried it well i experimented on my aunt first everyone loved it. definitely making it again taste like lasagna with half the effort.
I’m glad it was a hit with your family!
This was so delicious ! Definately tastes like lasagna but half th effort . Will be making this again !
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Does one batch of sauce make the six cups needed for this recipe
So sorry, this comment got snared in the spam filter! Yes!
This looks incredible! Do you know if zucchini noodles would hold up in the oven for someone aiming to save a few carbs?
I think if you cook for less time, don’t try and get the browning on the top for the zoodles and it would probably turn out great.
I’m making this tonight with spaghetti squash instead of noodles. I’ll report back how it turns out!
Thanks!
Can I just use my fave store bought marinara?
Absolutely 🙂
Mine didn’t look as pretty as yours but oh my goodness did it taste good! My (very) picky 4 and 7 yr olds ate it without complaint! Yay! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Thanks! I’m happy it was as big a hit with your family as it was with mine!
Saw this recipe on Facebook today while contemplating what to take to a Halloween party tonight. Had to improvise some of the ingredients but so far so good. We’ll see how it goes tonight.
This was amazing! I was leery about the cream cheese, but I gotta say that totally completed this. It made it so rich and creamy. Definitely a 5 star keeper!!!
It’s in the oven as I write this. It’s pretty much over flowing the pan, so next time I’ll probably use a bigger pan. I’ll post later with results. I know it looks Devine. And I did add mushrooms to my sauce. Can’t wait to eat now!
What is Quick and easy Marinara Sauce.
It’s another recipe from my blog – you can find it here: //dinnerthendessert.com/easy-marinara-sauce/
Can I just use regular marinara?
absolutely!
I want a big plate of this spaghetti!
I love this idea! It seriously looks like a million bucks with all that amazing cheese!
This look soooo good! My kids would be all over this!
Holy cow, does this look good! Love the idea of adding some roasted veggies too. Yum!
This looks terrific. Comfort food at is best!
Soooooo… THIS is going on my meal plan for next week! 🙂 Holy cow, this looks absolutely amazing.
Thanks, Carrie!
Oh my goodness, all those noodles and cheese! Delish!
This is perhaps the perfect family dinner. I love your strategy to make one and freeze one. That’s winning.
If you’re doing all the effort, why not just add a little bit extra to have a meal later on, right?
That looks amazing! I love any kind of baked pasta – especially one as cheesy as this! Definitely have to try this next time I’m craving some cheesy baked pasta!
I’ve always wanted to try making a sort of baked spaghetti but they always look so dry. Yours looks absolutely perfect and gooey. Making two to have one to freeze is a great idea.
I’m glad I gave you a recipe that finally meets your standards! Enjoy!
You won’t believe this, but I am here looking for tips to achieve a very dry, baked spaghetti! I frequent a good, local cafeteria and always look for their baked spaghetti that has set on the line too long and probably looks unappetizing to most people. When rather dry, the flavors are concentrated and really delicious, to me. When the same stuff is “wet,” it has zero appeal to my palate. Am I all alone on this?
Nope, not at all. If you add 75% of the sauce, add a couple extra tablespoons of tomato paste and bake uncovered you’re going to find what you’re looking for 🙂 The tomato paste will help concentrate those flavors for you even more!
Oh my gosh that’s better than any plate of spaghetti I’ve ever seen, YUM!
Thanks! The cheesiness really makes it irresistible, doesn’t it?
I can totally see why this is loved by all! I would love this and I know that my hubby would too!
Every kid in the world is going to devour this!
Thank you for the nice recipe.
No problem! 🙂
Could I use pasta sauce in a jar instead of making the marinara?
Absolutely!