In an effort to change up our pasta routine, I tried out this recipe, found through the wonderful world of Pinterest. I loved the "make ahead" nature of this dish and the ability to throw it together with ingredients on hand. The original recipe calls for ground beef, but I have used turkey Italian sausage (which was very good), and chopped up turkey pepperoni (which was delicious and the clear winner). My kids love it and it's earned a permanent spot in our meal rotation. Enjoy!
~Erin
Creamy Baked Spaghetti
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 1 28 oz. jar of your favorite prepared pasta sauce
- 1 lb cooked, drained Italian sausage OR 1 c. of roughly chopped pepperoni
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Stir your choice of meat into pasta sauce.
- Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain cooking water and return hot pasta to pot. Immediately stir cream cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic in to pasta until noodles are coated.
- Lightly spray a 9x13 pan. Spread a small amount of sauce mixture on bottom of pan. Spread spaghetti in pan, then top with sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
- Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes, until bubbly.
Notes
Save yourself a lot of frustration and make sure your cream cheese is thoroughly softened and cut into small chunks before stirring into noodles. Even after following these steps myself, I was a little surprised how "melt resistant" my full fat cream cheese could be. Putting the lid on the pot and letting it sit for a few minutes usually helps. Definitely avoid using a fat free cream cheese as it's melting capabilities are severely limited. :)
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