Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti - Easy Budget Recipes

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Cheesy Baked Spaghetti is a budget-friendly, family favorite meal that comes together in about an hour. It’s a delicious casserole with layers of pasta, a savory meat sauce, creamy cottage cheese, and melty mozzarella cheese.

a spatula taking a scoop of baked spaghetti out of a casserole dish

Table of Contents

Baked Cheesy Spaghetti

I love making this dish because it is incredibly simple to prepare. Plus, I typically have everything on hand to make it. It feeds a crowd and almost always leaves me with leftovers for lunch the next day.

When you want an easy weeknight dinner, this baked spaghetti is a satisfying, flavorful dish with an amazing cheese pull that your kids will love.

Ingredients & Estimated Cost:

Recipe Cost: $22.97

Per Serving: $2.87

Here is everything you need to make this baked spaghetti. I have also listed some substitution recommendations.

Spaghetti (1 lb – $0.98) – The base of the dish. You can use any long pasta such as linguine or fettuccine.
Lean ground beef (1 lb – $8.47) – A rich protein that can be substituted with ground turkey or Italian sausage.
Garlic Powder (2 teaspoons – $0.08) – An easy way to add a garlic flavor. Use 4-6 fresh garlic cloves as an alternative.
Onion Powder (2 teaspoons – $0.06 ) – Adds a sweet onion flavor. You can use ½ cup of fresh chopped onion to substitute for the onion powder.
Italian Seasoning (1 teaspoon – $0.08) – Gives an earthly flavor to the dish. Add a dash of oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary to create the same Italian flavoring.
Pasta Sauce (32 ounces – $3.50) – The spaghetti sauce brings the ingredients together. Use store-bought or homemade.
Butter (4 Tbsp – $0.62) – Helps coat the pasta, preventing it from sticking together and adding a rich flavor. Use olive oil for a lighter option.
Eggs (2 eggs – $0.66) – Binds the mixture together to help create the classic casserole texture.
Parmesan Cheese (1/4 cup – $0.37) – Enhances the overall flavor by adding a salty depth.
Cottage Cheese (16 oz – $2.24) – This is where the dish gets its signature creaminess from without breaking the bank. You can use ricotta cheese; it is just more expensive.
Mozzarella cheese (3 cups – $5.91) – Adds the ultimate cheesy layers of goodness to the dish. Use any cheese of your liking for a similar taste and texture.

The recipe cost is calculated based on the amounts needed and will vary depending on fluctuating grocery costs. The pricing for this recipe was last updated in July 2025.

Ingredients for baked spaghetti with text overlay

How to make Cheesy Spaghetti Bake

Cook the noodles, brown the beef, and whisk together the remaining ingredients. Then, layer everything in the casserole dish and bake. Let me show you how.

First, cook the spaghetti noodles according to the recipe directions.
Cook the beef until it is no longer pink, and drain it.
Whisk together the melted butter, Parmesan cheese, and eggs, and then mix it with the noodles.
Layer half of the noodles, cottage cheese, meat sauce, and mozzarella cheese in the baking dish.
Repeat the layers until you reach the top of the dish or run out of layers.
Finally, cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

a collage of the steps to layering the ingredients in the casserole dish.

***For complete recipe instructions and a recipe video, see the recipe card below.

Recipe Tips

Add some veggies. You can also add some fresh vegetables, such as mushrooms or zucchini.

Adjust for picky eaters. Some of my kids don’t like pasta sauce or ground beef, so for my picky eaters, I always leave a little of the noodles out of the Baked Spaghetti dish for them to enjoy.

a serving of baked spaghetti on a plate with the casserole dish in the background

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Baked Spaghetti

Recipe Cost 22.97

Serving Cost 2.87

Author Jess Jankowski

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Make dinner easy again! This Cheesy Baked Spaghetti features layers of pasta, meat sauce, cottage cheese, and mozzarella.

Servings: 8 people

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Equipment

large pasta pot
large bowl
12-inch skillet
9×13-inch baking dish

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
1 pound lean ground beef
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
32 ounces pasta sauce
4 tablespoons butter melted and slightly cooled
2 large eggs at room temperature
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 oz container small curd cottage cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

PREP OVEN AND BAKING DISH:

Move oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

COOK SPAGHETTI:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

COOK MEAT:

Cook ground beef in a large skillet until completely browned. Drain off the fat, and then stir in onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and pasta sauce.

MIX TOGETHER SPAGHETTI LAYER:

In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, and Parmesan cheese.
Once the spaghetti is done cooking, drain, and add spaghetti to the butter and egg mixture. Toss spaghetti until evenly coated.

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:

Place half of the spaghetti into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Evenly distribute half of the cottage cheese on top, then half of the meat mixture, followed by half of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Repeat the layers and cover the baking dish with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes, and then uncover, rotate the pan, and bake 8-10 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.

Video

Notes

Here are some storage tips:

Serve: You can keep this dish at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Allow the dish to cool and then wrap it with two layers of tin foil before placing it in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Thaw the baked spaghetti in the refrigerator overnight. Then, cover the dish with foil and bake in a 350-degree F oven until heated through about 20-30 minutes.

Nutrition

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Baked Spaghetti Recipe FAQs

Can I make this baked spaghetti ahead of time?

Absolutely! What a time saver for those busy days. You can cook the noodles up to a day in advance. The best way to keep them fresh is to place the cooked noodles in a large Ziploc bag and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Make sure to coat the noodles well. This helps them from drying out. No one likes dry and clumpy noodles!

What’s the best way to reheat baked spaghetti?

You can reheat the dish in the oven at 350°F until warmed through, which will take approximately 15 minutes. Or reheat it in individual portions in the microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through.

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