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Million dollar spaghetti is a satisfying spaghetti casserole made from tender pasta noodles tossed in homemade meat sauce and layered with melty cheese. It’s the ultimate family-friendly dinner that tastes like a million bucks!

A serving of million dollar spaghetti lifted from a casserole dish with a wooden spatula.

If you loved my million dollar chicken casserole, wait until you sink your forks into this million dollar spaghetti. Both recipes earned the “million dollar” title because they taste so ultra-rich and delicious.

Featured Comment

The filling is absolutely exceptional. I'm using it in so many Italian dishes! Love the recipe!

– Gini Johnson

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Why You’ll Love This Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole

Crowd-pleasing. Million dollar spaghetti is the best combination of homemade lasagna and spaghetti. Baking it in a casserole dish makes it the perfect choice for feeding a crowd.
Full of flavor. This spaghetti casserole tastes like a million bucks! It’s made with oodles of noodles tossed in savory meat sauce, then baked beneath layers of melty cheese.
Budget-friendly. Despite the name, this baked million dollar spaghetti is super affordable. This recipe makes a generous serving using inexpensive ingredients.

If you can’t choose between making spaghetti or making lasagna, make both!

Ingredients for million dollar spaghetti.

What You’ll Need

Below, I include a few notes on the ingredients you’ll need to make million dollar spaghetti. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full recipe amounts and details.

Spaghetti. One pound of dry spaghetti makes enough to fill a standard 9×13” casserole dish. You can make this casserole using just about any type of pasta, see more suggestions in my tips later on.
Olive Oil. Choose a good-quality extra virgin olive oil for browning the meat.
Onion. One medium-sized onion. Brown or yellow onion works great, or another mild variety.
Ground meat. I make this recipe with ground beef and Italian sausage. However, you can use any ground meat or any combination that you’d like. Feel free to use all beef, mix in ground pork, or use a leaner option like ground chicken or ground turkey.
Seasoning. You’ll need salt and freshly cracked black pepper, as well as garlic powder to season the meat.
Marinara sauce. Choose your preferred jarred marinara sauce from the store.
Cheese. This spaghetti casserole calls for a combination of cheeses. I use ricotta cheese, cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan. If you don’t have ricotta, cottage cheese will also work. I recommend grating your mozzarella and parmesan cheeses fresh from the block so that they melt smoothly.
Sour Cream. Adds another layer of richness and tanginess to the cheese layer.

How to Make Million Dollar Spaghetti

Here’s a quick look at how to make Million Dollar Spaghetti. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.

Prep. Preheat the oven to 375ºF while you bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta. Add the spaghetti to the pot and cook according to the package directions.

Meat sauce in a large pan with a wooden spoon. — Make the meat sauce.

Cheese mixture in a bowl with a spoon. — Make the meat sauce.

Prepare the sauce. Saute the onions until softened. Stir in the ground beef and sausage, then season and cook until the meat is browned. Stir in the marinara sauce. Lower the heat and simmer.
Prepare the cheese mixture. Whisk together the ricotta, cream cheese and sour cream.

Spaghetti tossed with meat sauce spread into a casserole dish. — Add half the pasta & sauce.

Cheese layered over spaghetti tossed with meat sauce in a casserole dish. — Add half the pasta & sauce.

Assemble the layers. Add the pasta to the meat sauce and toss to coat. Spread about one-half of the pasta evenly into the bottom of a casserole dish. Top this with a layer of cheese mixture and a layer of shredded mozzarella, followed by the rest of the pasta. Finally, sprinkle over the remaining mozzarella topped with grated parmesan cheese.
Bake. Bake your million dollar spaghetti at 375ºF for 40 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Million dollar spaghetti in a casserole dish garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Tips and Variations

Try not to overcook the pasta. Since you’ll be baking the spaghetti afterward, do your best to boil it al dente, where the noodles are still a little firm. Overcooking the pasta can result in a mushy casserole.
Let the casserole rest before serving. After your million dollar spaghetti is out of the oven, allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it. This lets the sauce and cheese set up a bit, for firmer slices.
Want to make this dish vegetarian? Leave out the sausage and sub the ground meat with your favorite vegetarian alternative meat, such as Beyond Meat.
Use another pasta. Technically, it won’t be million dollar spaghetti, but this recipe will still turn out great with another pasta variety. Try linguine, angel hair pasta, or tubular pasta like penne or ziti.

Serving Suggestions

Crusty bread is a must-have side with any pasta dinner in our house. Other times, I’ll make a quick batch of buttermilk biscuits. If you’d like to round out your meal with some greens, try a fresh spring salad or Caesar salad with crunchy croutons. You could also easily roast asparagus in the oven or air fryer. Or, try another vegetable side like delicata squash or roasted broccoli.

Million dollar spaghetti in a casserole dish with a slice missing from the corner.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Fridge. Once your leftover million dollar spaghetti has cooled, store the casserole airtight and refrigerate it for up to 4-5 days. Reheat servings in the microwave, or you can reheat larger portions in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through.
Freezer. Freeze any leftovers covered tightly for up to 3 months. Alternatively, if you’re making this casserole ahead, you can freeze the unbaked casserole airtight. Thaw the spaghetti casserole in the fridge overnight before baking or reheating as directed.