This is the best easy cheesy baked spaghetti that everyone will love
Cheesy baked spaghetti is a delicious recipe perfect to make when you are short on time or are looking for a crowd-pleasing recipe. Budget friendly and incredibly delicious and easy, this baked spaghetti recipe tastes just like lasagna but made in a third of the time!
Cheesy Baked spaghetti
I’m all about easy and comforting meals these days! Think of the recipes you would hope to eat after a long, hard day. Recipes that taste like family dinners and moments spent with the ones you love. This cheesy baked spaghetti is just that. A warm and comforting meal that’s a total crowd favorite!
This baked spaghetti is basically a casserole made with spaghetti, Bolognese sauce and a thick melted cheese layer on top. Some people also like to add some béchamel sauce or alfredo sauce to the mix but I prefer how this comes out with just Bolognese.
More pasta recipes you will love:
- Chicken Alfredo pasta
- Cheesy spinach pasta bake
- Farfalle pasta with ground beef
- Tomato chickpea pasta
- Spaghetti cake
- Creamy baked pasta
Once it’s baked you just slice your spaghetti casserole and serve it like any other casserole or lasagna. And honestly? This tastes very similar to lasagna but takes way less time to make it. A win-win in my opinion.
Why you’ll love cheesy baked spaghetti
You’ll fall in love with this recipe because it’s:
- Cheesy
- Saucy
- Filling
- Super easy to make
- Total crowd favorite and comforting
- Perfect to meal prep or feed a crowd
How to customize your cheesy baked spaghetti?
What I love the most about this recipe is that you can totally customize it to fit what you have on hand or the food your like.
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey! If you are looking for a vegetarian option you can also make a lentil Bolognese or use some sauté veggies with tomato sauce.
- Swap the mozzarella for cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, ricotta or any dairy free alternative you like.
- Add some béchamel sauce in layers! You can also create some spaghetti players. Once smothered in Bolognese and other in béchamel sauce.
What goes with spaghetti for dinner?
These are our favorite recipes to serve along cheesy baked spaghetti:
- Garlic bread chips
- Homemade baked potato chips
- Herb and cheese bread
- Soft bread rolls
- Stuffed butternut squash
- Roasted long sweet peppers salad
- Pesto feta crostini
- Bacon wrapped asparagus
Baked spaghetti casserole
Ingredients:
At a glance, here’s what you’ll use for this amazing recipe. Find the detailed measurements and instructions in the recipe card below.
- spaghetti pasta, cooked according to package directions
- Red onion, chopped
- Olive oil
- Ground beef
- Tomato sauce
- garlic powder (or fresh)
- Dry oregano
- Sweet paprika (use hot if you like spicy food)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Butter – I prefer unsalted
- Mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
How to make cheesy baked spaghetti?
- Cook onion in olive oil until transparent.
- Add the ground beef and sauté to brown.
- Season with salt and pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and paprika. Pour the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the butter and stir to combine.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the prepared baking dish. Pour the sauce and toss so everything gets coated evenly.
- Top with cheese and take to the oven. Bake until the cheese is bubbly.
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Cheesy baked spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 Pound pasta cooked according to package directions
- 1 Red onion chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ Pound ground beef
- 2 Cups tomato sauce
- 1 Tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tsp oregano
- 1 Tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Cup mozzarella cheese
- ¼ Cup parmesan cheese
Equipment
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti as instructed on the package
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until transparent, around 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and saute until browned. Season with salt and pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and paprika.
- Pour the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the butter and stir to combine.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and mix. Pour the sauce and toss so everything gets coated evenly.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- Top with the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese and take to the oven. Bake for around 40 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
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ABOUT PETRO
Hi, I’m Petro, author and founder of Easy Peasy Creative Ideas. Sewist, crafter, avid DIY-er, foodie, photographer, homemaker and mommy to one. I’m an expert at coming up with quick, clever sewing tips, recycling crafts and simple, easy recipes! You can find my ideas featured in reputable publications such as Country Living, Good House Keeping, Yahoo News, WikiHow, Shutterfly, Parade, Brit & Co and more. Thanks for stopping by and hope you’ll stay for a while, get to know me better and come back another time. Stick around for real fun projects! Read more…