Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti with Ground Beef

If you need an easy dinner that is cheesy, filling, and made with ingredients your family will actually eat, this Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti with Ground Beef is such a good one.

It has everything I love about a budget-friendly family dinner: seasoned ground beef, spaghetti, plenty of tomato sauce, and LOTS of melted cheese. You basically take a simple spaghetti dinner, cover it in cheese, and bake it until everything is hot and bubbly. I don’t think we need to make dinner much more complicated than that. 😂

This is also a great recipe when you need to stretch one pound of ground beef into a meal that can feed the whole family with leftovers if you’re lucky!

Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

• Budget friendly: One pound of ground beef stretches into 6–8 servings.
• Easy ingredients: Nothing fancy or hard to find.
• Super cheesy: Mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan give you plenty of melted cheese.
• Family friendly: It’s basically spaghetti night, but better.
• Great for busy nights: Prep it, throw it in the oven, and dinner is handled.
• Perfect for leftovers: It reheats really well the next day.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Spaghetti: Regular spaghetti works perfectly. You could also use another long pasta you already have.

Ground beef: You’ll only need one pound for the entire casserole.

Yellow onion and garlic: These add a lot of flavor to the meat sauce without adding much cost.

Marinara sauce: Use whatever jarred pasta sauce your family likes. There’s absolutely no need for an expensive one here.

Diced tomatoes: These give us a little extra sauce and tomato flavor. I drain them so the casserole doesn’t get watery.

Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper keep things simple.

Mozzarella: Gives us that classic melty baked-pasta cheese.

Cheddar: I love adding cheddar because it makes the spaghetti extra cheesy and gives it a slightly different flavor than using mozzarella alone.

Parmesan: Adds a little salty, savory flavor throughout the casserole.

How to Make Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

1. Cook the spaghetti

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti for about 2 minutes less than the package directions.

Drain and set aside.

Don’t cook the pasta completely at this point. It’s going back into the oven, so slightly undercooking it helps prevent mushy spaghetti later.

2. Brown the ground beef

While the spaghetti cooks, add the ground beef and diced onion to a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook until the beef is browned and the onion has softened, breaking the meat apart as it cooks.

Drain excess grease if necessary.

3. Make the meat sauce

Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

Cook for about 30 seconds, then stir in the marinara sauce and drained diced tomatoes.

Allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes.

4. Make it cheesy

Add the cooked spaghetti to the meat sauce and toss until all of the noodles are coated.

Stir in 1 cup shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan.

And yes, we’re putting cheese inside the spaghetti AND on top. We’re making cheesy baked spaghetti. We’re committing to it. 😂

5. Assemble the baked spaghetti

Transfer the spaghetti mixture to a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish.

Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan evenly over the top.

6. Bake

Bake uncovered at 375°F for 20–25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese on top is completely melted and bubbly.

Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Taylor’s Tips

Undercook your spaghetti. Cook it about two minutes shy of the package directions because it’ll continue cooking in the oven.

Don’t make the sauce too dry. Pasta absorbs sauce while it bakes and even more as leftovers sit in the refrigerator.

Use the cheese you have. I use mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan, but you don’t need to buy three brand-new bags of cheese just for this recipe. Extra mozzarella can easily replace the cheddar.

Shredded cheese from a bag is okay. Freshly shredded cheese generally melts a little smoother, but I’m also making dinner on a Tuesday. 😂 Use what works for you.

Let it rest before serving. Five minutes gives everything a chance to settle and makes it much easier to serve.

Easy Substitutions

One of the reasons I love baked spaghetti is that it’s pretty hard to mess up.

You can swap the ground beef for mild Italian sausage, or use half beef and half sausage.

Don’t have cheddar? Use additional mozzarella.

If your family doesn’t like chunks of tomatoes, leave out the diced tomatoes and add approximately ½ cup additional marinara sauce instead.

You could also sneak in some chopped spinach, mushrooms, or bell peppers if you have vegetables that need to be used.

Is This the Same as Million Dollar Spaghetti?

Nope!

Million Dollar Spaghetti usually has a creamy cheese layer made with ingredients such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, or sour cream.

This cheesy baked spaghetti is much simpler. It’s essentially a hearty ground beef spaghetti tossed with cheese and baked under a big layer of melted cheese.

If you’re looking for an easy baked pasta without the creamy cheese layer, this is the one.

What to Serve with Baked Spaghetti

I wouldn’t overthink this one.

Serve it with:

• Garlic bread
• Side salad
• Roasted broccoli
• Green beans
• Caesar salad
• Steamed vegetables

Honestly, garlic bread and a bagged salad are more than enough for a busy weeknight.

How to Store Leftovers

Allow leftover baked spaghetti to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly.

Store it in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave. If the spaghetti seems a little dry after sitting in the refrigerator, add a small spoonful of marinara before reheating.