Million Dollar Spaghetti (Printable)

Layers of spaghetti with savory meat sauce, creamy Alfredo and bubbling mozzarella for a hearty baked comfort dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 lb dried spaghetti

→ Meat Sauce

02 - 1 lb ground beef
03 - 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
07 - 1 tsp dried basil
08 - 1 tsp dried oregano
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Cheese Mixture

11 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
12 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
13 - 1/2 cup sour cream
14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

→ Alfredo Layer

16 - 1 cup prepared Alfredo sauce

→ Topping

17 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
18 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook spaghetti until just al dente according to package directions, drain and set aside.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add ground beef, Italian sausage and chopped onion; cook, breaking up meat, until browned and onion is softened; drain excess fat.
04 - Return skillet to medium heat, stir in minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, then add marinara, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and black pepper.
05 - Reduce heat and simmer the meat sauce gently for 5–7 minutes to blend flavors, then remove from heat.
06 - In a mixing bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, ricotta, sour cream, grated Parmesan and chopped parsley until smooth and homogenous.
07 - Place half of the cooked spaghetti in the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly to form the base layer.
08 - Spoon and spread the cheese mixture over the bottom spaghetti layer in an even layer.
09 - Arrange the remaining spaghetti over the cheese layer, spreading to cover evenly.
10 - Pour the prepared Alfredo sauce evenly over the top spaghetti layer, then gently spread the meat sauce over the Alfredo.
11 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and the remaining grated Parmesan evenly across the assembled layers.
12 - Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes to allow fillings to heat through.
13 - Remove foil and continue baking 10–15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling; let the casserole rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Once you pull it out of the oven, it looks and tastes like something from a fancy restaurant kitchen (even if your slippers are still on).
  • It’s deceptively simple to assemble, so you get maximum wow factor with only a little more work than spaghetti and meat sauce alone.
02 -
  • If you skimp on the resting time after baking, the layers won’t hold and you'll end up with a cheesy spaghetti avalanche.
  • Using block mozzarella and grating it yourself is worth the minimal extra effort—bagged shreds never melt as dreamily.
03 -
  • Mixing basil and oregano with your fingers before adding releases more aroma—tiny step, big payoff.
  • A sprinkle of red pepper flakes brings gentle heat that sets off the creamy layers perfectly.
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