This easy, oh so cheesy baked spaghetti contains layers of bubbly cheese, hearty meat sauce, and perfectly cooked spaghetti. It's a great, kid-friendly weeknight dinner for busy families.
This easy baked spaghetti was one of our daughter's favorites and it's now being enjoyed by our grands! There's nothing I love more than when the grandkids come to visit. I always make a big homemade meal for them, but homemade doesn't have to mean time-consuming or difficult. This baked spaghetti is quick to make and gives us more time to be together.
If you've been around here for very long, you'll know that I have no problem taking the occasional shortcut in the kitchen. For this easy baked spaghetti recipe, I use purchased spaghetti sauce instead of my usual homemade Bolognese sauce. Not only does it save time, it cuts the ingredients list down to almost nothing!
In fact, I'll bet that you have all of the ingredients on hand right now to make this baked pasta casserole. All you'll need are pasta, ground beef, Cheddar cheese, spaghetti sauce, and Parmesan cheese.
You can bet your bottom dollar that kids (and adults, too!) will love this recipe. It's so easy to make that you're sure to add it to your go-to weeknight recipe list.
While the spaghetti bakes, you can make a nice tossed salad, along with some cheesy onion and herb bread, and you're good to go!
On nights when you have a little more time, why don't you try another of my spaghetti recipes? These Jumbo Meatballs and Spaghetti are always a hit as are my Baked Meatballs and Spaghetti and my Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Ground beef (if you use very lean ground beef for this recipe, you probably won't even need to drain it)
- Purchased spaghetti sauce (my personal favorite is the traditional Ragu, but you can use any brand you like)
- Spaghetti (kids love it because it's a really familiar shape but you can substitute almost any pasta)
- Cheddar cheese (again, a flavor, color, and texture very familiar to children; they love Cheddar cheese)
- Parmesan cheese (not strictly necessary, but it adds a little extra something to finish off the topping)
- Salt and pepper (as always, that classic seasoning combination that enhances all savory recipes)
You'll find detailed measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Baked Spaghetti
Start by putting a large pot of salted water on to boil and preheating the oven to 350.
Make the Sauce
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4
STEP 1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
STEP 2. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring until it's nicely browned with no visible pink color remaining. Drain off any excess fat and return the ground beef to the pan.
STEP 3. Add the spaghetti sauce, salt, and pepper, and stir that together with the ground beef.
STEP 4. Bring the mixture to a bubble, cover it, and reduce the heat to a simmer.
By this time, the water should be boiling so you can drop in your pasta and let it cook according to the package directions. When the pasta is done, drain it and start assembling the casserole.
Assemble the Casserole
STEP 5 STEP 6 STEP 7 STEP 8
STEP 5. Put about ⅓ of the meat sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish.
STEP 6. Add about half the cooked pasta.
STEP 7. Top with half the cheddar cheese.
STEP 8. Add another third of the sauce and the remaining pasta.
STEP 9. End with the rest of the sauce and top with the remaining one cup of cheddar and the Parmesan cheese on top.
Cook Until Bubbly
STEP 10. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Cool Slightly
STEP 11. Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving.
Variations
- You can change the recipe by substituting either ground turkey or ground pork for the ground beef. Or make a meatless version by simply leaving it out or substituting with carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower.
- Use any pasta shape that you have on hand. I like long, thin pastas (spaghetti, linguini, bucatini, etc.) for this recipe, but if you have small children try macaroni, penne, or bow ties. Those shapes are easier for little ones to handle. Or break up your spaghetti into small pieces before cooking.
FAQs
Definitely! You can prep and assemble the entire dish a day ahead and refrigerate it, covered, until you're ready to bake it. You can also freeze the assembled casserole, store it for up to 2 months, and then bake it. In either case, let it come up to room temperature before baking.
Leftovers may be stored in the baking dish, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. Just reheat in the microwave or oven. To freeze, remove the cooled casserole to an appropriate freezer container and store for up to 2 months.
My favorite spaghetti sauce is the traditional Ragu sauce. It has a very prominent tomato flavor and is not highly seasoned. Children really like its flavor, too. However, any brand that you like will work just as well.
I almost always serve something green with this casserole. That could be a nice tossed salad, zucchini, green beans, or roasted asparagus.
More Recipes You'll Love ...
- Egg Noodle Lasagna
- Pasta d'Arrabiata
- Creamy Ham and Red Bell Pepper Pasta
- Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
- Mediterranean Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta
- Italian Sausage Alfredo
- Pork Chops and Pasta
More Baked Pasta Recipes ...
- Creamy Baked Carbonara Mac and Cheese from Spoon Fork Bacon
- Taco Chili Pasta Bake from The Recipe Critic
- Baked Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olives from Diane Kochilas
Have you tried this recipe? I'd love for you to give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card and/or in the comments section further down.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Baked Spaghetti with Cheddar Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 24 ounces spaghetti sauce (recommended: Ragu traditional spaghetti sauce)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 16 ounces pasta (see notes)
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Start by putting a large pot of salted water on to boil and preheating the oven to 350.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground beef and cook, stirring until it's nicely browned with no visible pink color remaining. Drain off any excess fat and return the ground beef to the pan.
- Add the spaghetti sauce, salt, and pepper, and stir that together with the ground beef.
- Bring the mixture to a bubble, cover it, and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- By this time, the water should be boiling so you can drop in your pasta and let it cook according to the package directions. When the pasta is done, drain it and start assembling the casserole.
- Put about ⅓ of the meat sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish.
- Add about half the cooked pasta.
- Top with half the cheddar cheese.
- Add another third of the sauce and the remaining pasta.
- End with the rest of the sauce and top with the remaining one cup of cheddar and the Parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
- Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Vary the recipe by substituting either ground turkey or ground pork for the ground beef. Or make a meatless version by simply leaving it out and substituting carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower.
- Use any pasta shape that you have on hand. I like long, thin pastas (spaghetti, linguini, bucatini, etc.) for this recipe, but if you have small children try macaroni, penne, or bow ties. Those shapes are easier for little ones to handle. Or break up your spaghetti into small pieces before cooking.
- Can this recipe be made ahead? You can prep and assemble the entire dish a day ahead and refrigerate it, covered, until you're ready to bake it. You can also freeze the assembled casserole, store it for up to 2 months, and then bake it. In either case, let it come up to room temperature before baking.
- How do I store it? Leftovers may be stored in the baking dish, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. Just reheat in the microwave or oven. To freeze, remove the cooled casserole to an appropriate freezer container and store for up to 2 months.
- What brand of purchased sauce do you recommend for this recipe? My favorite spaghetti sauce is the traditional Ragu sauce. It has a very prominent tomato flavor and is not highly seasoned. Children really like its flavor, too. However, any brand that you like will work just as well.
- Do you have any suggestions for side dishes? I almost always serve something green with this casserole. That could be a nice tossed salad, zucchini, green beans, or roasted asparagus.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Leslie says
What size jar of spaghetti sauce
Lana Stuart says
24 oz.
Shannon says
What size dish? Is 4 quart big enough?
Lana Stuart says
Yes, that's perfect.
patricia Johnson says
What size jar of Ragu?
Mykele says
Am I the only one that puts sugar in her sauce to cut back on the acidity of tomatoes? I thought this practice was huge in the South!
Angela says
Yes sugar is a must. Also a southern girl.
Rosemary Meyer says
I have an over supply of spaghetti and this the ideal recipe for this ( I just over bought pasta ! Also an ideal dish for potluck for big crowds Thanks for sharing!
Jeff Blackwell says
Amanda:
Do you think I could double the recipe for "Baked Spaghetti "to serve 12 people. We're all going to the beach house soon and this would make a great recipe unless you could recommend something else. I just devour your web site. Thanks.
Lana says
Hi Jeff,
I'm not "Amanda," but... yes, you could easily double this recipe. You'd probably to need to use two casserole dishes for the doubled recipe, though.
Chaya says
I love baked spaghetti but I am never sure why. Baking gives it a quality it does not have when cooking on the stove. I leave out the meat and make it similarly to yours. I must print your recipe.
Sues says
I'm pretty sure the only thing better than spaghetti is baked spaghetti!! This is making me crave pasta like crazy :)
Drick says
love a shortcup recipe myself, especially when it's a good one, like this one.... make one very similar too
Kathleen says
I love baked spaghetti and yours looks ah-mazing!!!!
Lana says
Why, thank you, Kathleen!