Baked Spaghetti Casserole
This baked spaghetti casserole takes all the comforting flavors of classic spaghetti and transforms them into an easy, cheesy pasta bake perfect for busy weeknights.
If spaghetti is on regular rotation at your house, welcome to the club. This baked spaghetti casserole is one of my favorite ways to switch things up without making dinner any harder. You still get the classic spaghetti flavors everyone loves, but baked together in one warm, cheesy casserole that's hearty, comforting, and even better the next day.
Casseroles are just the best.
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Quick Look at this Baked Spaghetti Recipe
- Uses simple pantry ingredients
- Easy to assemble ahead of time
- Feeds a crowd without much effort - my kids love this recipe!
- Freezer-friendly and reheats well
Ingredients for Baked Spaghetti Casserole
- Spaghetti noodles
- Ground beef - swap out for Italian sausage or ground turkey
- Onion & green pepper
- Cream of mushroom soup - An unexpected ingredient! It gives this casserole a hint of creaminess that separates it from typical spaghetti
- Spaghetti or marinara sauce - Your favorite jarred pasta sauce keeps this baked spaghetti recipe quick and easy. If you have leftover homemade sauce, you'll need just over 3 cups.
- Italian seasoning
- Mozzarella cheese - Because is it even a pasta dish without cheese?
How To Make Baked Spaghetti Casserole
Step 1: Cook spaghetti noodles al dente, as they will continue to cook in when the casserole bakes. I typically cook for 2 minutes shorter than the shortest time listed on the box.
Step 2: While the pasta cooks, heat oil in a large skillet. Add ground beef, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Cook until no longer pink, breaking it into small pieces as it browns. Drain any excess grease.
Step 3: Add diced onion and green pepper to the skillet with the beef. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Step 4: Add the cooked spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, cream of mushroom soup, and Italian seasoning to the meat mixture.
Stir until everything is evenly coated. It should look nice and saucy, as that's what keeps the baked spaghetti from drying out.
Step 5: Spread the spaghetti mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese.
Step 6: Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving so it scoops a little easier.
Serving Tips
This baked spaghetti casserole pairs perfectly with garlic bread, a simple salad, roasted vegetables, or fresh fruit. It also makes a great freezer meal for busy weeknights, meal trains, new moms, or just sharing with a friend.
Quick Tip: Pair with garlic bread and a bagged salad for an easy drop off meal for an easy meal to share with others.
Storage & Freezing Tips
Make ahead: Assemble the baked spaghetti casserole up to 24 hours in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerate until ready to bake. If baking straight from the fridge, add about 5-10 extra minutes to the bake time.
Store leftovers: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm larger portions in the oven until heated through.
Freeze: This baked spaghetti casserole freezes beautifully. Assemble the casserole in a disposable foil pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze before baking.
To bake from frozen: For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator first. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. If baking straight from frozen, add an additional 15-20 minutes to the cooking time until the casserole reaches 165 degrees.
More Casserole Recipes You'll Love
There's something special about delivering a warm meal to someone. It may seem simple, but having dinner taken care of, even for just one night, can feel like such a gift during a busy or difficult season.
This baked spaghetti casserole is one of my favorite meals to share because it's comforting, filling, and easy for families to warm up whenever they need it.
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📖 Recipe
Baked Spaghetti Casserole
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti al dente*.1 pound spaghetti noodles
- While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet. Add ground beef, season with salt and pepper & break apart into small pieces. Continue cooking until meat is no longer pink. Drain any grease from the hamburger.1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 pound ground beef , 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. black pepper, ½ tsp. garlic powder
- Add onion and green pepper and saute for another 3-4 minutes.1 white onion, 1 green pepper
- Add cooked noodles, spaghetti sauce, cream of mushroom soup and Italian seasoning to the meat mixture10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup, 23.5 oz. jar spaghetti sauce, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.2 cups mozzarella cheese
- Bake 30-35 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.
Notes
- To cook the pasta al dente, boil the noodles for 2 minutes less than the shortest time listed on the box directions. This ensures the pasta doesn't get too mushy baking in the oven.
Just wondering what the # means in front of spaghetti and ground beef.
Hi Leann! The # stands for pound, so you’ll need one pound of both spaghetti & ground beef.
Absolutely delicious!! I happened to have all ingredients on hand, except ground beef, so zesty ground sausage was used, and a can of cream of broccoli replaced the cream of mushroom soup I was out of. It was a hit with my husband, too, and we can’t wait to enjoy the leftovers. Thank you!
This was phenomenal! I oopsed and used only 12 ounces of pasta because that’s the amount I had stuck in my head from looking at somebody else’s recipe. I only used 10 ounces of ground beef (weighed before cooking) because we don’t like meat heavy dishes. I used powdered onion powder because I was out of onions and I don’t like green peppers so I didn’t even add them. I use only 2 cups of spaghetti sauce to make up for the pasta difference and use the whole can of mushroom soup. It probably doesn’t taste exactly like you did it but close enough and it was really really good. Thank you for sharing.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Melody!