Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole (Printable)

Rich layers of spaghetti, meat sauce, creamy Alfredo, and melted cheeses baked to golden perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound spaghetti

→ Meat Sauce

02 - 1 pound ground beef
03 - 0.5 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 24 oz jar marinara sauce
07 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
08 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
09 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

→ Alfredo Layer

10 - 15 oz container ricotta cheese
11 - 1 cup Alfredo sauce
12 - 0.5 cup sour cream
13 - 1 large egg

→ Cheeses

14 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15 - 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil spaghetti according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and Italian sausage until browned, breaking apart with a spoon. Drain excess fat.
04 - Add diced onion and minced garlic to the meat mixture and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
05 - Stir in marinara sauce, dried Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from heat.
06 - In a bowl, blend ricotta cheese, Alfredo sauce, sour cream, and egg until smooth.
07 - Spread half of the cooked spaghetti in the baking dish. Top evenly with half of the Alfredo mixture, then half of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese.
08 - Repeat layers with remaining spaghetti, Alfredo mixture, meat sauce, and finish with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
09 - Cover casserole with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
10 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is browned and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's a baked pasta situation that actually keeps the noodles tender instead of turning them to mush, thanks to that perfectly balanced Alfredo layer.
  • You can assemble it ahead and bake when guests arrive, which takes about half the stress out of dinner night.
  • The combination of two sauces means you get savory meat, creamy richness, and that stretchy cheese pull all in one dish.
02 -
  • Don't cook your spaghetti completely done—it'll finish softening in the oven and you'll thank yourself for that decision instead of cursing mushy pasta.
  • That 10-minute rest at the end is non-negotiable; it's what keeps your slices from falling apart on the serving spoon and turning the whole dish into baked chaos.
03 -
  • Use whole milk ricotta instead of part-skim—it makes the creamy layer exponentially better and you'll notice the difference immediately.
  • Lay parchment paper under your foil so the cheese doesn't stick and tear the top layer when you uncover it for the final browning.
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