Description
Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese is a deliciously comforting dish that features rich marinara, ground beef, and creamy cheese. Perfect for family dinners and easy weeknight meals, this recipe is sure to please everyone at the table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2–3 teaspoons olive oil (for pasta)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1½ teaspoons italian seasoning (divided)
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus additional)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups jarred marinara sauce
- ½ pound spaghetti noodles
- 8 ounces block style cream cheese (cubed)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces block whole-milk mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- Fresh parsley (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick oil spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, ground beef, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in the jarred marinara sauce with the cooked beef and simmer on low for 10 minutes while cooking pasta. Set aside.
- In boiling salted water, cook spaghetti noodles for 9-11 minutes or until al dente; then drain.
- Transfer the pasta to a bowl, mixing in cream cheese, remaining Italian seasoning, and garlic powder until smooth. Coat with olive oil if needed.
- Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish and layer the spaghetti on top.
- Top the spaghetti with the remaining meat sauce and sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
- Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before garnishing with fresh parsley.
Notes
Feel free to add vegetables to the meat sauce for added nutrition.
This dish can be prepared ahead of time and baked just before serving.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg