Baked Spaghetti Casserole
How about serving a Baked Spaghetti Casserole for a quick week night meal?
Add a garden salad and crusty french garlic bread and you have a meal ready in 30 minutes.
Sometimes I just want to order out as I am too tired to make a big dinner. That is when dishes like this Baked Spaghetti Casserole come into play.
It is really so easy to make as it bakes in the oven instead of on top of the stove.
This recipe has been in my rotation for quite some time and it actually started from a church potluck.
One of the ladies put all the ingredients in a slow cooker, including the cheese and let it cook all day.
Actually, she also added a packet of spaghetti sauce mix, as well as a bottle of marinara sauce and grated cheddar cheese!
I thought of modifying it a bit by baking it in the oven and adding the cheese on top…although I do admit, the lady from church was on to something when she added cheese directly into the slow cooker.
Up until that day, I had not thought of adding melty cheese directly to the spaghetti.
Of course, when growing up, we always sprinkled on the dry parmesan cheese to the top of the spaghetti that sat on our plates…you know the dry cheese in the green bottle? I had never put grated cheddar or any other kind of cheese in my spaghetti. But that sweet lady did and it was delicious.
You can jazz it up or jazz it down…either way it is so good as the cheese on top makes it extra special.
Try this Baked Spaghetti Casserole and let me know your thoughts.
The Captain loves it and so do I…
Proverbs 19:21 “You may make many plans, but it is the Lord’s purpose that will prevail
- 1 lb browned and seasoned ground Beef (Italian sausage can be substituted)
- 1/2 medium finely diced onion
- 3/4 lb.spaghetti, cooked
- 1 jar (approx 15 oz) of your favorite spaghetti sauce
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, grated
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large sauce pan, brown the ground beef and onion until no longer pink.
- Simmer meat and tomato sauce together.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted water to cover ...until the spaghetti is al dente (not quite cooked)
- Drain the spaghetti and add to the meat and sauce
- Spray a casserole dish with non stick cooking spray.
- Spoon half of the meat/spaghetti noodle mixture into the dish.
- Pack it down lightly and sprinkle on half of the cheese.
- Add the other half of the spaghetti, pack down lightly and top with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
- Serve with a green salad and crusty garlic bread.
- Quick and easy and you can either make your own spaghetti sauce or buy your favorite brand. I really love the crusty sides and lightly browned cheese on top of this casserole. Yummy
