Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese is comfort food at its best! To me, it feels like a hug at the end of a long (crazy) day. It’s simple to make, oh-so-cozy, and always a hit. If your family loves pasta and you love not overcomplicating things, this is one you will turn to again and again.
I’m always up for a cozy dinner that doesn’t take a million steps or a trip to a specialty grocery store. This baked cream cheese spaghetti checks all the boxes: it’s easy to throw together, budget-friendly, and ridiculously satisfying.
The cream cheese adds just the right amount of indulgence, turning a basic pasta bake into something a little more special.
This spaghetti bake with ground beef and cream cheese fills a 13x9 pan, feeds 12, and comes together in under an hour. It's a make-ahead spaghetti casserole with cream cheese for potlucks, Sunday family dinner, or dropping off a meal for a friend with a new baby. Serve it with Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread Machine Garlic Bread.
If you are looking for more easy weeknight spaghetti recipes, don't miss my Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel and Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti, Ninja Foodi Spaghetti and my Crockpot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. For more weeknight casseroles the family will love, don't miss my Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole, Chicken Spinach Manicotti, and Chicken Broccoli Casserole.
Let's Talk Ingredients
You can use regular, gluten-free, or whole-wheat spaghetti for this recipe. I’ve tested this with all three, and they all work.
Our preference is ground beef, but you can swap in turkey, chicken, or even a plant-based option if you’d like it lighter or vegetarian.
For the sauce, grab your favorite jarred marinara or make it from scratch; I love using my Crockpot Marinara. for this.
Cream cheese makes the sauce rich and creamy—just let it come to room temperature so it blends smoothly. You can also use ricotta or cottage cheese instead. Check out my Baked Spaghetti with Ricotta if you would prefer to use ricotta.
Why the Cream Cheese Goes in the Middle
Mixing the Parmesan and Italian seasoning into the cream cheese seasons it and stiffens it. That keeps the dollops from melting away into the marinara. You get tangy pockets of cream cheese in every scoop of this creamy baked spaghetti.
Softened cream cheese blends smoothly with the parmesan. Cold cream cheese leaves stiff lumps.
Tips and Tricks
- Cook your pasta until it is al dente, meaning it has a little bit of bite left in it. This will help it hold up better in the oven and prevent it from becoming too mushy.
- Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature before mixing it with the other ingredients. This will help it blend more easily and create a smooth and creamy texture.
Preventing Dry Baked Spaghetti
Do you cover baked spaghetti? Yes. The foil holds in steam, so the top noodles stay tender instead of drying out and turning crunchy. Taking it off for the last 10 minutes is what browns the mozzarella. It's ready when the sauce bubbles at the edges and the cheese has golden spots.
Once it's done, let it cool for a few minutes before serving to allow it to set and make it easier to cut into portions. If you're reheating leftovers, add a splash of water or broth before microwaving to help restore some moisture.
Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese Step-by-Step
For the full recipe for baked spaghetti casserole with cream cheese with measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
To make Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese, preheat your oven to 350° F. Spray a 13 x 9 casserole dish with cooking spray.
Make-Ahead and Freezing
To make this spaghetti bake recipe ahead, assemble it and keep it covered in the fridge for up to a day. Let your dish sit out for 15 minutes, and then put it in a cold oven and let it preheat with this oven. If you put a cold casserole dish in a hot oven, it could crack. You will want to add about 10 minutes to the cook time.
To freeze, wrap the assembled (unbaked) casserole well and freeze for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and then bake as usual.
To freeze already bake spaghetti casserole, first cool it completely. I recommend you freeze in individual portions. Reheat with a splash of water to bring back the moisture.
Baked Spaghetti Casserole with Cream Cheese and Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 5 cups marinara sauce
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 8 ounces parmesan cheese grated
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 13 x 9 casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions; be careful not to overcook. Drain.
- While the pasta cooks heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until the ground beef starts to brown.
- Add the onion, garlic, and salt, and cook for another 7 minutes or until the ground beef is cooked. If you have excess fat, you can drain it. Add the marinara and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning.
- Place ½ cup of the marinara in the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Top with half of the noodles, and half of the remaining sauce. Dollop half of the cream cheese mixture over the top and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese.
- Add the remaining noodles, marinara sauce, and top with the remaining cream cheese and then mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until warm and bubbly. I recommend removing the foil in the last 10 minutes of baking time.
Annette Anderson says
Your recipes look delicious! I'm going to try them. The baked Spaghetti looks like a yummy place to start.
Wendy Polisi says
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it!