30-Minute Spaghetti Casserole
If you need a quick weeknight dinner idea that you know everyone will love, you’ve got to try this quick and easy spaghetti casserole recipe. It takes just 30 minutes to assemble and bake! Even better, you can make ahead if you need something easy to simply pop in the oven.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Baked Spaghetti Casserole!
- A simple weeknight meal! Spaghetti bake casserole requires very little prep making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- A family favorite! Kids and adults will both love this baked spaghetti dish.
- Perfect for serving a crowd! Casseroles are great for potlucks or anytime you need a dish to feed lots of guests.
- An easy make-ahead dish. Prep it ahead so all you need to do is pop it in the oven making weeknights even easier.
Ingredients
Simple grocery staples and ingredient shortcuts combine to make spaghetti casserole with ground beef everyone will love.
- Spaghetti: The best option for making baked spaghetti casserole but you can also use other long noodles such as fettuccine or linguine.
- Ground beef: I usually prefer using lean ground beef for a bit less fat. You can use any type of ground beef as long as you drain off any excess fat after cooking it.
- Aromatics: Onion and minced garlic add more flavor to the beef.
- Pasta sauce: You can use any type of pasta sauce so choose your favorite!
- Sour cream: For best results use regular sour cream and not the fat-free version.
- Cheese: A mixture of mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese adds plenty of flavor and cheesiness to this easy spaghetti casserole.
How To Make Spaghetti Casserole
This dish requires minimal prep to get it ready and in the oven! Let’s get started with an overview of the main steps to make the best spaghetti casserole.
- Cook. The spaghetti until it’s cooked but still firm to the bite. Drain well.
- Brown. The ground beef, onion, and minced garlic in a large skillet over high heat until the beef is cooked. Be sure to drain off any excess fat.
- Add. The spaghetti sauce and sour cream to the beef mixture.
- Combine. The cooked pasta with the beef and sauce mixture.
- Transfer. The pasta mixture to your prepared baking dish and top with the cheeses.
- Bake. Covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes or until it’s nice and bubbly.
- Remove. The foil and broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.
Tips & Variations
- Turkey spaghetti casserole. Swap the ground beef and use ground turkey instead.
- Vegetarian. Skip the meat or use a vegetarian meat alternative or cooked lentils in place of the beef.
- Don’t cook the pasta too long. You want it to retain a bit of “bite” to it since it will cook longer in the oven.
- Cook your spaghetti casserole covered. This way the cheese doesn’t become too brown on top.
Serving Suggestions
This simple pasta casserole goes great with a simple side dish or two! It’s basically a one-pot meal.
- If you’re looking to enjoy a salad, try this cucumber and tomato salad or this easy fruit salad.
- Air fryer garlic bread makes a terrific side to scoop up all the delicious sauce on your baked spaghetti casserole.
- Add a simple vegetable side dish such as green beans or air fryer corn on the cob!
- Need a dessert for a crowd? I love the ease of making bar desserts or cookies such as white chocolate blondies and lemon sugar cookies. Looking for a cake instead? This funfetti cake is easy to make using a box mix but I add a few secret ingredients to make it taste homemade!
Recipe FAQ
Yes, sure thing! Prepare the dish all the way up through combining the spaghetti and meat sauce and transferring it to your casserole dish. Cover it well and store it in the fridge overnight. The next day, remove it from the fridge and allow it to sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Add the cheese on top and bake in the oven as directed. You may need to extend the cooking time by 15 minutes since the ingredients are cold.
Yes, you can! I suggest cooking them with onions and beef to cook them a bit and release some of their liquid. I find mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, and bell peppers all work well.
Storing
- Store. Leftovers in the fridge for up to five days. I’m not a fan of freezing pasta or dairy so I recommend not freezing it.
- Reheat. You can reheat individual slices in the microwave or reheat the whole casserole covered with foil in the oven at 350°F until heated through and bubbly.
More Pasta Recipes
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30-Minute Spaghetti Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce package spaghetti
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ¼ cup chopped white onion
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 26.5 ounce jar pasta sauce
- 1 16-ounce container sour cream , (not fat-free)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a deep 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Stir in spaghetti. Boil pasta until cooked through but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well.
- Brown ground beef, onion, and minced garlic in a large skillet over high heat; drain fat.
- Stir in spaghetti sauce, and sour cream. Mix in the cooked pasta.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella, cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover and broil for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.
Notes
- Turkey spaghetti casserole. Swap the ground beef and use ground turkey instead.
- Vegetarian. Skip the meat or use a vegetarian meat alternative or cooked lentils in place of the beef.
- Don’t cook the pasta too long. You want it to retain a bit of “bite” to it since it will cook longer in the oven.
- Cook your spaghetti casserole covered. This way the cheese doesn’t become too brown on top.
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