Million Dollar Spaghetti Bake (Printable)

Hearty baked spaghetti with layers of meat sauce, creamy Alfredo, and melted cheeses, perfect for a family meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound spaghetti

→ Meat Sauce

02 - 1 pound ground beef
03 - 1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
07 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Alfredo Layer

10 - 1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
11 - 1 cup Alfredo sauce
12 - 1/2 cup sour cream
13 - 1 large egg

→ Cheeses

14 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15 - 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Cook spaghetti according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking up with a spoon, until browned. Drain excess fat.
04 - Add diced onion and minced garlic to the meat and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened.
05 - Stir in marinara sauce, dried Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
06 - In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Alfredo sauce, sour cream, and egg. Mix until smooth.
07 - Spread half of the cooked spaghetti in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour half of the Alfredo mixture over the spaghetti and spread evenly. Top with half of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
08 - Repeat the layering with the remaining spaghetti, Alfredo mixture, meat sauce, and cheeses.
09 - Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
10 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
11 - Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to actually cook for hours, which means more time enjoying people instead of sweating by the stove.
  • The triple-layer effect—savory meat, creamy Alfredo, golden cheese—makes every bite feel intentional and luxurious.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, and that's not something I say lightly.
02 -
  • Drain that meat carefully—excess fat makes the layers greasy and separates everything into unappetizing puddles.
  • Don't skip precooking the pasta; fully cooked pasta absorbs liquid differently than al dente and will turn into mush by the time the cheese melts.
  • The egg in the Alfredo layer isn't optional; it's the difference between a creamy, cohesive layer and something that slides around when you serve it.
03 -
  • Use fresh-shredded cheese instead of pre-packaged whenever possible—the difference in melt quality is genuinely noticeable and worth the 2 minutes of effort.
  • If your Alfredo sauce is homemade and runny, thicken it slightly before mixing with the ricotta, or the Alfredo layer will weep liquid during baking.
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