Description

This Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese recipe features a delightful blend of flavors with ground beef, marinara, and creamy cheese, making it ideal for a quick family meal.

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon olive oil
2–3 teaspoons additional olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1½ teaspoons italian seasoning blend
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 cups jarred marinara sauce
½ pound spaghetti noodles
8 ounces block style cream cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
8 ounces block whole-milk mozzarella cheese
Fresh parsley, finely chopped

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick oil spray.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the olive oil, ground beef, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper for 5-6 minutes until the beef is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
Stir in the marinara sauce and simmer for 10 minutes while cooking the pasta, then set aside.
In a pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti noodles for 9-11 minutes or until al dente, following package directions.
Drain the pasta and combine it in a bowl with cream cheese, remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and garlic powder until smooth. Use additional olive oil if needed to prevent sticking.
Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in the prepared baking dish.
Layer the spaghetti noodles over the sauce, then top with the remaining meat sauce.
Sprinkle parmesan and mozzarella cheese over the top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before garnishing with chopped parsley and serving.

Notes

Feel free to add vegetables like bell peppers or mushrooms to the meat mixture for extra flavor and nutrition.
For a spicy kick, consider adding red pepper flakes to the meat sauce.
This dish can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator before baking.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6 of the dish
Calories: 560
Sugar: 4g
Sodium: 880mg
Fat: 30g
Saturated Fat: 14g
Unsaturated Fat: 6g
Trans Fat: 1g
Carbohydrates: 47g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 32g
Cholesterol: 90mg