Million Dollar Spaghetti is the ultimate cheesy baked pasta recipe layered with rich meat sauce, creamy cheese filling, and perfectly cooked noodles for a comforting, crowd-pleasing dinner. This easy baked spaghetti casserole tastes like classic lasagna but comes together with simple ingredients for a family favorite you’ll make again and again.

Easy Million Dollar Spaghetti

Spaghetti is one of those meals that can either turn out bland and forgettable or absolutely incredible and underrated — and this Million Dollar Spaghetti is definitely the latter. With just a few extra ingredients, it transforms traditional spaghetti into a rich, cheesy, flavor-packed dinner that feels a little extra special without being complicated. It’s hearty, comforting, and layered with creamy goodness in every bite. This has quickly become one of our go-to family meals, and it’s even a guaranteed win with the picky eaters at the table.

The Cowboys’ Rating: 9/10

Every time I make a new recipe, I have my family rate the recipe out of 10. By the time, these recipes make the blog, they’ve been tried and tested by some of my hardest tiny critics!

What Ingredients Are in Million Dollar Spaghetti?

Ground Beef – As always, we use our own homegrown ground beef that is grass-finished and regeneratively raised. It’s delicious, lean and so good. Our ground beef is 90/10 and I never have to drain off a bunch of fat.
Spaghetti Sauce – Spaghetti sauce is a tricky one. I find that I have a hard time finding a spaghetti sauce I truly love, so I started canning my own spaghetti sauce a few years ago. (You can find that recipe here) The sauce makes all the difference so make sure to choose a sauce with lots of flavor.
Spaghetti Noodles
Cottage Cheese – Traditional million-dollar spaghetti has ricotta cheese, but we aren’t fans of it at our house, so I like to use cottage cheese. It has a better flavor and also increases the protein in the meal.
Cream Cheese – To make this cheesy layer nice and smooth and creamy, I like to add some cream cheese to the mixture.
Mozzarella Cheese – Mozzarella adds that perfectly melty, creamy layer that ties everything together, balances the rich meat sauce, and gives this baked spaghetti its signature “million-dollar” feel.
Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan cheese has a distinct, rich flavor that I love so I add that too.

Seasonings

Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Sugar
Kosher Salt
Italian Seasoning
Pepper

Tools You’ll Need

Recipe for Million Dollar Spaghetti

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cook the noodles according to the package directions, then drain and set aside.
In a frying pan, cook the ground beef with the seasonings over medium heat until fully browned.
Stir in the spaghetti sauce and let simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, cottage cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Mix until well blended.
Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Spread half of the noodles evenly in the bottom of the dish. Layer with half of the meat sauce, then spread half of the cheese mixture on top.
Repeat the layers with the remaining noodles, sauce, and cheese mixture.
Finish by sprinkling the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Enjoy!

Storage and Freezer Directions

Storage:
Let the Million Dollar Spaghetti cool completely, then cover the baking dish tightly with foil or transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the full dish in a 350°F oven until heated through.

Freezer Directions:
To freeze, assemble the casserole but do not bake. Wrap the dish tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed, adding 10–15 extra minutes if needed. You can also freeze baked leftovers in airtight containers for easy, ready-to-heat meals.

Gluten Free Million Dollar Spaghetti

This recipe can easily be adapted to be gluten free by using a gluten-free pasta. I do always caution to check and make sure any other ingredients that YOU are using are indeed gluten free. Below is the link to my very favorite gluten free pasta to use for this recipe.

Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti Noodles

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