Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole

There's something about a baking dish full of bubbling cheese and meat sauce that just makes you feel like you're doing something right in the kitchen. Million Dollar Spaghetti showed up in my life during one of those weeks when I needed to impress without fussing, and it delivered in the most spectacularly indulgent way. The name alone made people curious before they even tasted it, and once that first forkful hit with its layers of creamy Alfredo, savory meat, and melted cheese, I understood why it earned that golden reputation. It became my go-to when the oven needed to do the heavy lifting.

I made this for my neighbor one autumn when she was recovering from surgery, and watching her face light up as she lifted a piece of that cheesy, saucy pasta reminded me that sometimes the most generous thing you can cook is something that doesn't require a fork-and-knife learning curve. She reheated leftovers for three days straight and called to thank me each time, which is really the highest compliment a baked pasta can receive.

Ingredients

• Spaghetti (1 pound): Cook it to al dente because it'll soften further in the oven, and nobody wants mushy layers.
• Ground beef (1 pound) and Italian sausage (1/2 pound): The two-meat combo gives you depth without the dish tasting one-dimensional, and the sausage adds just enough fennel to make people ask what's in there.
• Onion and garlic: These aren't optional flavor builders—they're the reason the whole thing tastes like someone who knows what they're doing made it.
• Marinara sauce (24 oz jar): Quality matters here since it's the base of your meat layer; I've learned the hard way that bargain-bin tomato sauce stays thin and underwhelming.
• Italian herbs, salt, and pepper: Don't skip seasoning the meat sauce properly—it's the difference between tasting like someone's favorite recipe and tasting like a first attempt.
• Ricotta cheese (15 oz container): This is what makes the middle layer creamy rather than tough; it's worth getting full-fat.
• Alfredo sauce (1 cup): Store-bought saves your sanity, and there's no shame in that choice whatsoever.
• Sour cream (1/2 cup): This keeps the Alfredo layer from baking into something cement-like and adds a subtle tang that balances all that richness.
• Egg (1 large): It acts as a gentle binder for your creamy layer without making it dense or rubbery.
• Mozzarella cheese (2 cups shredded) and Parmesan (1 cup shredded): Low-moisture mozzarella browns nicely on top, and fresh Parmesan actually melts into something luxurious instead of turning grainy.

Instructions

Get your oven ready and set up your stage:

Preheat to 350°F and grease that 9x13-inch baking dish thoroughly so every layer slides out cleanly when you're done. Have all your components prepared before you start layering, because assembly moves faster than you'd think and you'll want everything within arm's reach.

Cook the pasta until it's almost done:

Follow the package timing but pull it a minute early—that way it stays firm enough to hold up to the layering and baking ahead. Drain it but skip the oil rinse so the meat sauce can grab onto the noodles properly.

Brown the meat and build your sauce base:

Get your skillet hot and crumble in the beef and sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks until no pink remains. Pour off the excess fat so your sauce tastes like meat and tomato, not grease and tomato.

Soften the aromatics and marry the flavors:

Toss in your diced onion and minced garlic, letting them turn soft and fragrant for a few minutes. Add your marinara, herbs, salt, and pepper, then let everything simmer quietly for five minutes so the flavors actually know each other by the time you layer them in.

Make your creamy middle layer:

Combine your ricotta, Alfredo sauce, sour cream, and egg in a mixing bowl, stirring until everything is smooth and no streaks of ricotta remain. This mixture is what separates a decent baked pasta from a genuinely luxurious one.

Build your first layer:

Spread half your cooked spaghetti across the bottom of the baking dish, then pour half your Alfredo mixture over it and spread gently. Top with half the meat sauce, then scatter half your mozzarella and half your Parmesan across the whole thing.

Create the final layer and cover it:

Repeat everything with your remaining spaghetti, Alfredo, meat sauce, and cheeses. Cover the whole dish with foil and slide it into the oven for 30 minutes so the layers meld together without the cheese browning too early.

Finish it and let it settle:

Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes until the cheese on top turns golden brown and bubbly. Let the whole dish rest for 10 minutes—this pause lets everything set up so each slice holds together instead of sliding into a pile.

Save

There was a Tuesday night when my teenage daughter actually asked for seconds of this without prompting, and in that moment I realized this casserole had somehow become comfort food for the whole house. It's the kind of dish that gets better the next day when you reheat it, which is its own kind of magic.

Why This Works as Comfort Food

Million Dollar Spaghetti works because it respects what people actually want from pasta—something warm, familiar, and generous. The layered approach means you get different textures and temperatures in every single bite, and that contrast is what keeps it interesting even after you've demolished half the dish. It's rich enough to feel special but not so complicated that you need a culinary degree to pull it off.

Making It Your Own

The beauty of this recipe is that it's flexible enough to bend toward what you actually have or prefer without falling apart. Ground turkey swaps for beef if you're after something lighter, and sautéed spinach or mushrooms nestle into the layers without throwing off the balance. I've even seen versions where people add roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes, and they work because the creamy Alfredo layer holds everything together no matter what you toss at it.

Serving and Storage Wisdom

Serve this with a simple green salad on the side to cut through the richness, and garlic bread for the people who want to make it a whole event. Leftovers keep beautifully for up to four days and actually reheat better than you'd expect when you cover them loosely with foil in a 350°F oven.

• A wedge of this casserole with crusty bread and marinara for dunking feels restaurant-quality but costs a fraction of that.
• Pair it with a medium-bodied red wine or even a simple white if you want something that won't compete with all that cheese and meat.
• This is exactly the kind of dish that turns ordinary Tuesday nights into something worth remembering.

Save

Million Dollar Spaghetti isn't fancy, but it absolutely earns its name through sheer generosity of flavor and texture. Make it once and you'll understand why it shows up at potlucks, family dinners, and the tables of people who just want to feel taken care of.

Recipe FAQs

→ Can I substitute ground beef with another meat?

Yes, ground turkey or chicken can be used for a lighter option without sacrificing flavor.

→ How do I prevent the casserole from drying out?

Cover the dish with foil during most of the baking time and uncover near the end to brown the cheese without drying it.

→ Can I prepare this dish ahead of time?

Yes, assemble it in advance and refrigerate. Bake fresh when ready to serve for best results.

→ What sides pair well with this layered casserole?

A crisp green salad and garlic bread complement the rich flavors and add fresh textures.

→ Is it possible to add vegetables to this dish?

Definitely. Sautéed spinach, mushrooms, or bell peppers can be added between layers for extra nutrition.