Recipes Main Dishes Casserole Recipes Noodles The Best Spaghetti Casserole 4.6 (186) 150 Reviews 64 Photos This easy spaghetti casserole dish with ground beef is deliciously rich, hearty, and cheesy. Submitted by Noonie Finch Hodges Updated on April 16, 2024 Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 64 64 64 64 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 12 Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe This crowd-pleasing spaghetti casserole recipe will satisfy all your comfort food cravings. fabeveryday Spaghetti Casserole Ingredients These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade spaghetti casserole recipe: Spaghetti: This easy dinner starts with a 12-ounce package of spaghetti. Cream cheese and sour cream: Cream cheese and sour cream are essential for the creamy casserole. Cheeses: You’ll need shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Oil: Cook the beef in two tablespoons of olive oil. Sirloin: Ground beef takes the heartiness up a notch. Onion: An onion lends bold flavor. Seasonings: Season the spaghetti casserole with fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper. Sauce: Use jarred spaghetti or marinara sauce or make your own at home. How to Make Spaghetti Casserole You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make spaghetti casserole: Boil and drain the spaghetti. Cook the beef until lightly browned, then add onion and seasonings. Continue cooking until the meat is cooked through, then drain the grease. Stir the sauce into the beef mixture, then add the spaghetti and stir until coated in sauce. Assemble the spaghetti casserole according to the detailed instructions. Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with Parmesan, and broil until the cheese is golden brown. Test Kitchen Tips This top-rated user recipe was tested in our test kitchen. Here are some tips from recipe tester Marianne Williams: The key to perfectly cooked pasta in a casserole is to cook it slightly under al dente (a.k.a. molto al dente). The pasta will continue to cook and soften in the casserole. This works so well with spaghetti, but any shape of pasta would work and be delicious. Penne or rigatoni would be great for capturing sauce. For a pop of green color, stir spinach into the beef mixture and garnish the casserole with fresh basil. What to Serve With Spaghetti Casserole For delicious inspiration, explore our collection of Best Side Dishes to Pair With Your Spaghetti Dinner. Here are some of the top-rated ideas you’ll find: Classic Restaurant Caesar Salad Great Garlic Bread Easy Arugula Salad How to Store Spaghetti Casserole Cover the leftover spaghetti casserole tightly or place it in an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to five days or freeze it for up to three months. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise “This is one of those recipes [where] the success really depends on the brand of sauce you use,” says ReneePaj. “Use a sauce that's flavorful and you like, otherwise you might be disappointed by the flavor.” “It was wonderful,” raves one Allrecipes community member. “I put mushrooms and garlic in it. So easy to make.” “I loved this casserole,” according to Kevin Righeimer. “I had some leftovers and it got even better the second time around.” Editorial contributions by Corey Williams Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings cooking spray 12 ounces uncooked spaghetti 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 ½ pounds ground sirloin ½ cup chopped yellow onion 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 (24 ounce) jars spaghetti or marinara sauce ¼ cup Parmesan cheese Directions Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Boil spaghetti in generously salted water until cooked through but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios While pasta cooks, stir cream cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese together until combined; set aside. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Heat olive oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef in large chunks and cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Add onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook, breaking up meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and tilt the pan to pool grease onto one side, trying to keep the beef mixture on the other. Use a large spoon to remove grease; discard grease once cooled. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Add marinara to beef mixture in skillet; stir until combined. Add reserved spaghetti. Fold and stir until well coated in sauce. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Transfer ½ of the pasta mixture to prepared baking dish. Spread sour cream mixture evenly over pasta mixture in baking dish, then top with remaining pasta mixture. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella evenly over spaghetti mixture. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and place baking dish on a baking sheet. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Bake in preheated oven until cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Increase oven temperature to broil. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Broil until cheese has started to turn golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Enjoy! Dotdash Meredith Food Studios From the Editor This recipe was tested in the Allrecipes test kitchen and updated to include cream cheese, garlic, and additional seasonings based on user feedback. I Made It Print 476 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 570 Calories 21g Fat 60g Carbs 34g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 570 % Daily Value * Total Fat 21g 27% Saturated Fat 9g 46% Cholesterol 86mg 29% Sodium 405mg 18% Total Carbohydrate 60g 22% Dietary Fiber 3g 11% Total Sugars 4g Protein 34g 68% Vitamin C 1mg 1% Calcium 269mg 21% Iron 4mg 25% Potassium 505mg 11% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.