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Home / What Can I Make With Spaghetti Noodles and Cheese

What Can I Make With Spaghetti Noodles and Cheese

Comforting Spaghetti Casserole is a tried-and-true family favorite! Everyone loves this combination of creamy pasta, meaty sauce, and melty cheese!

spoonful of spaghetti casserole

This post is sponsored by Palmolive®. All opinions are 100% my own.

Whenever I need to feed a crowd, or want to have leftovers for the week, a casserole is always what comes to mind. They are the perfect easy meal that doesn't take too much effort and are almost always a hit. Lately, my new favorite has been this baked spaghetti casserole. It's easy to make, loaded with tons of cheesy goodness, and is always the best comfort food.

No matter if you're looking for a quick weeknight meal for the family, or need a dish to bring to your weekend potluck, this easy spaghetti casserole will have you covered. No one can resist the simple yet delicious sauce that coats the spaghetti noodles and is covered in drool-worthy baked-on cheese. Make this recipe tonight and you won't be disappointed!

SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE
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palmolive with dirty dishes at the sink

An easy spaghetti casserole is always a go-to for me on busy nights because it can be thrown together in a flash and is so delicious, but the only downside is the daunting task of cleaning the baked-on mess that's covering the casserole dish. Even after hours of soaking and all the elbow grease I have in me, it never seems to get perfectly clean.

So, not only am I completely wearing myself out trying to clean this dish, but I'm also missing out on quality family time. Instead of sitting down and enjoying an after-dinner snack, and hearing about my kids' day, I'm in the midst of a losing fight against the casserole dish.

spaghetti casserole on plates with a side salad

I knew I needed to find some kind of solution because my regular tactics just weren't cutting it. I picked up a bottle of Palmolive® at our local Albertsons. I used the Just 4 U offer to get $0.05 off Palmolive® 32.5 oz bottles (now through Oct 9th) and hard to clean dishes became a thing of the past!

I was over the moon when I first tried Palmolive® Ultra Strength. It allows me to clean the baked spaghetti casserole dish in a fraction of the time! Palmolive® easily cuts grease, lifts off 24-hour stuck-on food (in case I don't' get to the dishes right after dinner), and provides and residue-free clean. All that saved time lets me soak up extra moments with my family. Now I don't hesitate at all when the kids request spaghetti casserole for dinner!

Ingredients Needed For A Baked Spaghetti Casserole

  • Spaghetti Pasta
  • Italian Sausage
  • Yellow Onion
  • Garlic
  • Cream Cheese
  • Eggs
  • Spaghetti Sauce
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • Mozzarella Cheese

steps to make spaghetti casserole

How To Make Spaghetti Casserole

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. While the oven is warming, fill a large pot of water until it is 3/4 of the way full. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add a generous pinch of salt to season the water. Remove the pasta from its package and add to the water. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box until it is al dente. Pour the pasta and water into a colander to drain the pasta.
  3. Now you're going to add the cooked pasta back into the same pot. Then, stir in the cream cheese and eggs until everything is mixed together. Set this aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Next, you'll place a skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, onions, and garlic to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage as it cooks and mix it together with the onions and garlic. Once the sausage is browned and the onions are softened, pour off any grease that has rendered from the sausage. After that, pour in 1 cup of spaghetti sauce and stir everything together.
  5. Now you're ready to assemble the casserole. Start by pouring the noodle mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish so they are in an even layer. Next, pour the sausage mixture over the pasta and spread it out to cover the pasta completely. Add the cottage cheese on top of the sausage by the spoonful and use the back of the spoon to spread it all out. Pour the remaining cup of spaghetti sauce onto the casserole and spread until it covers everything. Sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole so there is cheese in every bite!
  6. Place the baking dish on the middle rack of your oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is melty and golden.
  7. Carefully remove the casserole from the oven and serve warm with a salad and garlic bread.

What To Serve With Spaghetti Casserole

Thanks to Palmolive® Ultra Strength I know I won't have to focus so much time and effort on post-dinner cleanup so I will have more time to make more delicious recipes to go with this baked spaghetti casserole!

Simple casserole dishes like this one make it easy to choose what to pair with it. There are so many great sides that you could make to turn this main dish into a great dinner everyone will love. Here are a few of my favorites to serve with spaghetti casserole.

  • Green Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing or Quick and Easy Italian Dressing
  • Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
  • Pizza Dough Bread Sticks or Low Carb Cauliflower Breadsticks

spaghetti casserole in a dish with some taken out

Can You Freeze Spaghetti Casserole?

Yes! Freezing a casserole is easy as can be, and makes it so you can have fresh homemade dinner already prepped for up to several months.

To freeze this easy spaghetti casserole, first, make sure the dish has cooled completely before you begin prepping it for the freezer. Just leave it on the counter for at least 20-30 minutes. Once cooled you have two different options on how you want to store the leftovers.

You can leave it all in the baking dish, and cover with heavy-duty foil, or you can place it all into a large airtight container. Either way works fine, its all up to what your preference is, and how much space you have in your freezer. Once you have it all covered, simply store in a level position in the freezer for up to 4 months.

fork with a bite of spaghetti casserole

How To Reheat Baked Spaghetti Casserole

To reheat this spaghetti casserole, your best option will be to reheat it in the oven. You can also microwave it, but it will dry out the sauce and the noodles, and won't be as good as it was fresh.

To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, place the contents in an oven-safe, dish, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 20-30 minutes.

If you are reheating from the freezer, either allow the casserole to thaw in the refrigerator overnight first, or bake directly from the freezer and double the cooking time.

palmolive bottle above dirty dishes

Tips For Cleaning A Casserole Dish

  • First things first, get yourself a good quality dish soap, your run of the mill soap isn't going to cut it for a task like cleaning baked-on spaghetti sauce. Something with heavy-duty capabilities, like the Palmolive® Ultra Strength, is always what I use.
  • Before using your sponge and soap, try to remove any large burnt pieces with a spatula. It will save you from doing extra scrubbing.
  • Fill the dish with water and Palmolive® Ultra Strength dish soap and let it soak while you clean up other dishes.
  • Once it's done soaking simply take your soapy sponge and clean with ease.

And you're in luck because Albertsons has a Just 4 U offer of $0.50 off Palmolive® 32.5 oz bottles now through 10/9/19! Your dishes are going to smell so fresh and clean!

palmolive soap being poured onto dirty dishes

For even more easy dinners, try these casserole recipes!

  • Sloppy Joe Casserole
  • Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole
  • Ravioli Lasagna
  • Chicken Enchilada Casserole
  • Roasted Mushroom Spinach Sausage Alfredo Pasta Bake
  • More DINNER recipes…

spatula lifting a portion of spaghetti casserole from the pan

Tools used to make this Spaghetti Casserole recipe

Casserole Dish: My glass casserole dish is a staple in my kitchen whether it's for dinners, or desserts, it's almost always in use for something I'm cooking up.

Palmolive® Ultra Strength: It's my favorite dish soap for those hard to clean messy dinners that leave the pan full of baked-on residue. I love that it's easy to find, and I can pick it up at my local Albertsons store, which means I always have some on hand!

Spaghetti Server: The spaghetti server spoon is a necessity for any lightweight pasta noodles. It lifts, portions and serves spaghetti, linguini and angel hair pasta with ease.

Spaghetti Casserole

Comforting Spaghetti Casserole is a tried-and-true family favorite! Everyone loves this combination of creamy pasta, meaty sauce, and melty cheese!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: casserole, pasta, sausage

Servings: 8

Calories: 615 kcal

  • 1 pound spaghetti pasta
  • 3 tablespoons cream cheese (1.5 ounces)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 16 ounces pasta sauce
  • 16 ounces cottage cheese
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in cream cheese and eggs. Set aside.

  • Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, onion, and garlic to the skillet and cook until sausage is browned and onions are soft, about 8 minutes. Drain excess grease and stir in 1 cup of pasta sauce.

Assembly

  • Pour the pasta mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish.

  • Spread the sausage mixture over the pasta so it is spread out completely. Add cottage cheese over the sausage and spread over the dish. Next, pour the remaining pasta sauce onto the casserole and spread over the cottage cheese. Sprinkle cheddar and mozzarella cheese over the top of the dish so there's cheese in every bite.

  • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until casserole is bubbling and cheese has melted.

  • Remove from oven and serve warm.

Calories: 615 kcal | Carbohydrates: 50 g | Protein: 31 g | Fat: 32 g | Saturated Fat: 14 g | Cholesterol: 126 mg | Sodium: 1131 mg | Potassium: 584 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 6 g | Vitamin A: 693 IU | Vitamin C: 6 mg | Calcium: 264 mg | Iron: 2 mg

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What Can I Make With Spaghetti Noodles and Cheese

Source: https://realhousemoms.com/spaghetti-casserole/