Million Dollar Spaghetti

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°
Cook spaghetti in salted, boiling water – don’t overcook!
Drain. Add 12 ounces (½ a jar) of marinara sauce to the spaghetti and set aside.
Add onion and ground beef to pan.
Saute until beef is cooked and onion is almost translucent.
Add garlic, smoked paprika, and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning; cook for a minute or two more.
Drain excess fat from pan.
Add half the sauce to the meat mixture and stir well. Set aside.
Heat the cream cheese in the microwave until soft.
Mix ½ cup of the Mozzarella, sour cream, cottage cheese, and cream cheese with 1 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning.
Blend until smooth and well mixed.
Place 8 squares of butter in the bottom of the 13×9-inch pan.
Cover with half the spaghetti.
Spoon the cheese mixture over the spaghetti and gently smooth into a layer.
Sprinkle with 1-½ cups of Mozzarella.
Cover with the remaining spaghetti.
Add the meat sauce in a smooth layer.
Add the remaining sauce over the meat.
Cover with the remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Check and if the cheese is getting too brown cover with aluminum foil and bake 10-15 more minutes – or until the center registers 165° on an insta-read thermometer.
Remove from the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes.

Expert Tip: I like to break the spaghetti up into thirds before cooking. The smaller sized noodles make it easier to cut and serve.

This is a good dish for sneaking in vegetables if you have veggie-haters at your house. Chop them and add in with the meat and sauce mixture.
Let the million dollar spaghetti casserole sit for about 5-10 minutes after you remove it from the oven. This gives it a chance to solidify a little and it won’t fall apart (much) when you cut into it to serve.
Use a lean ground beef. I like the 90/10 mix.
This is amazing for potlucks! It doesn’t have to be steaming hot to be good AND it’s easy to take with you. Plus it makes a ton. I’ve never brought any leftovers home – the dish is always clean.

To Stir, With Love