Name: The Best Cheesy Baked Spaghetti
Brand: thekitchenandalatte.com
SKU: thekitchenandalatte-com-1
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

The Best Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

preview

×Jump to RecipePin RecipeDo you love spaghetti and cheese? What about baked pasta dishes with incredible layers of flavor? If so, then we have the perfect dish for you - cheesy baked spaghetti! This delicious and comforting casserole has all the beloved flavors of classic spaghetti but kicks it up a few notches.Oven baked spaghetti with cheese is the ultimate comfort food! Perfect for cooler nights and it always brings the family together. This casserole, our pizza lasagna and our 5 ingredient baked cheese ravioli are family favorites when we are craving baked pasta. It does make a lot and for 3 of us we usually have enough for 2 meals, but nobody ever complains about eating it twice. This casserole is also perfect for gatherings or even as an extra dish for a holiday!Jump to:One Dish Creamy Beef PastaPlease enable JavaScriptOne Dish Creamy Beef PastaWhile it looks like a lot of ingredients in our cheesy baked spaghetti, it is worth every single ingredient added! Don't let the list overwhelm you, it is easy to make.We highly recommend making the sauce for the cheesy baked spaghetti, but we added how to substitute with jarred sauce in the important tips below. This sauce is a little thinner on purpose.This is not a hard dish to make, even with all the ingredients. It does take a little more time to prepare them some casseroles, but it is definitely worth it!This can be made with store bought sauce, but we recommend making the homemade. It is pretty easy to make and only has a few ingredients! If you get a store bought sauce, use a 15 ounce jar of sauce and mix with a 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes to get it close to the same amount we use.The amount of sauce is just enough to give flavor and moisture without taking away the flavors of everything else. Your pasta will not be drowning in sauce tho. If you prefer a lot of sauce, you can have some at the table when serving. Do not add extra sauce to the dish before baking.One thing you want to do is break the pasta in half before cooking if it is full size pasta. Some brands also have spaghetti that is cut in half already - greatest invention ever!If you are scooping your cheesy baked spaghetti casserole out, full size pasta will make it harder to get the right amount. You can cut the baked spaghetti into squares and serve as well, then it doesn't matter the size of the pasta going in!Follow the instructions on the box to cook to al dente.The butter and the pasta cannot be added to the eggs all at once when they are hot. Melt the butter and set it aside for about 5-10 minutes to cool slightly, but be sure it remains liquid.In a large bowl mix together the cottage cheese, garlic powder, the slightly cooled butter, parmesan cheese and eggs.After draining the pasta, slowly add pasta in and stir. I start with 1-2 pasta server scoops and stir it immediately. You do not want to add all the hot pasta at once or you run the chance of slightly cooking the eggs.After you have added about half of the spaghetti stirring each time, you can add the rest and stir well.The layers for the cheesy baked spaghetti casserole are pretty easy. You do want to wait to add the top layer of cheese tho.You make this in two layers. First place about half of the pasta in the bottom of a 13x9 dish - it will not fit in a smaller dish.Pour about half of the sauce/meat mix over top of the spaghetti mix. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over the top of the first layer. As a note, you can use more mozzarella cheese if you want it extra cheesy.Next add the remaining spaghetti mix and then the remaining sauce mix. Do not add the rest of the mozzarella yet.Cover with foil and bake for about 25 minutes before removing foil and adding the cheese on top. Then return to the oven to bake for another 15-20 minutes.The reason for waiting to add the cheese on top is that half of your cheese will stick to the foil instead of staying on your baked spaghetti. Trust me, I know this from personal experience!Can baked spaghetti be made ahead of time?Yes! You can prep it the day before and put it in the fridge before baking. Please note that you will need a longer cooking time. I would add about 10-15 minutes with it covered to the bake time if you if you make it ahead.Also you will need to take it out of the fridge for a bit before baking if you have it in a glass baking dish. Glass can crack going from the cold fridge right to the hot oven.You can always prepare this easy baked spaghetti recipe in a disposable baking dish as well which can go from fridge to oven. We do not use them often, but I always have them on hand.Can baked spaghetti be frozen?Yes it can! I recommend using freezer safe containers and be sure to portion it in amounts you will use at once. It should not be refrozen once thawed.To heat - it is best to thaw in the fridge first. Then you can microwave as you would other leftovers or you can heat it in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through.What to serve with baked spaghetti?We like to make garlic bread with ours and sometimes we make Nagi's Cheese and Garlic Crack Bread. Plain Italian bread is always a great option as well.A garden salad goes well with spaghetti, baked or not. It is always a great side choice to go with most meals!Do I have to cook the pasta first?Yes you do. There is not enough room in the dish to add the amount of liquid needed to cook the pasta in the oven. And the pasta is likely to turn out with clumps and spots not fully cooked if you do not precook the noodles.As an Amazon affiliate, we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links. This is at no extra cost to you! Thank you for your support and helping us to keep the recipes free. from votesPrint RecipePin RecipeI have been craving a good spaghetti and I’m so glad I found this one!! So delicious and perfect for a chilly night.ReplyYum! I love this baked spaghetti! Such a fun and easy recipe to make that the whole family loves!ReplySuch a great comfort food dinner!ReplyThanks for the great recipe! Adding it to my family weekday night routine.ReplySuper easy and delicious! Love this recipe and will be making again!ReplyHaven't tried recipes as of yet, However, will be baked an fried within the next 2 week's. $ short at present time. However I will get it done. Yummy yummy yum yum...ReplyWe use affiliate linksWe have affiliate links on our blog which means at no extra cost to you, we may earn a commission if you click on a link from our site.&nbsp; Please read our&nbsp;affiliate disclosure&nbsp;for more details.Amazon Disclosure:As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchasesWe share free recipes for you to enjoy.&nbsp; All recipes have been tested here before sharing.&nbsp; There are various reasons why something might not turn out the same.&nbsp; Our altitude is low, we use a gas stove and gas grill here.&nbsp; Different devices cook differently, please adjust accordingly.

×Jump to RecipePin RecipeDo you love spaghetti and cheese? What about baked pasta dishes with incredible layers of flavor? If so, then we have the perfect dish for you - cheesy baked spaghetti! This delicious and comforting casserole has all the beloved flavors of classic spaghetti but kicks it up a few notches.Oven baked spaghetti with cheese is the ultimate comfort food! Perfect for cooler nights and it always brings the family together. This casserole, our pizza lasagna and our 5 ingredient baked cheese ravioli are family favorites when we are craving baked pasta. It does make a lot and...

The Best Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS