Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

baked spaghetti n a spoon with steam coming out

4.54 from 15 votes

This Cheesy Baked spaghetti is traditional, but with a delicious twist! It is made super cheesy with the addition of American, and other delicious shredded cheeses, and a super flavorful sauce.

Course dinner, Italian Inspired

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chicken spaghetti, ground beef, ground beef recipes

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Servings Servings

Calories 526kcal

Author Tamara J.

Equipment

2 Pieces Nylon Pasta Server and Pasta Tong, Small Size Non-stick Spaghetti Server 12-Inch Spaghetti Spoon 7.1-Inch Stainless Steel Handle Spaghetti Tong Food Clip for Spaghetti Noodle, Easy to Operate
T-fal G10482 HeatMaster Nonstick Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator Dishwasher Oven Safe Jumbo Cooker with Lid Cookware, 5 Quart, Black
LiveFresh Stainless Steel Micro-Perforated 5-Quart Colander - Professional Strainer with Heavy Duty Handles and Self-draining Solid Ring Base - Dishwasher Safe
StarPack Basics Silicone Kitchen Tongs (9-Inch & 12-Inch) - Stainless Steel with Non-Stick Silicone Tips, High Heat Resistant to 480°F, For Cooking, Serving, Grill, BBQ & Salad (Teal Blue)
bamfitwell Bamboo Cutting Board with Juice Groove
IMUSA USA Stainless Steel Stock Pot 20-Quart, Silver

Ingredients

1 pound Ground beef
1 small Onion diced
1 clove Garlic minced
16 ounces Tomato sauce or a jar of spaghetti sauce of choice
2 cups Water reserved water that pasta cooked in
1 tablespoon Seasoned salt
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ tablespoon Garlic powder
½ tablespoon Onion powder
1 teaspoon Black pepper
1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon Sugar (optional)
8 ounces Velveeta cheese cubed
3 cups Mozzarella cheese
2 cups Italian cheese blend
16 ounces Spaghetti noodles
Enough water to cover and boil spaghetti
1 teaspoon Salt for water to boil pasta

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large stockpot of water to a rapid boil. Put enough water in the stockpot to cover the spaghetti noodles. Add the teaspoon of salt to the water.
Once the water comes to a rapid boil, slowly add the pasta. Use a large spoon to separate the spaghetti noodles while they cook.
Reserve two cups of the cooking liquid and set aside. Once the pasta reaches an al dente texture, about 7-8 minutes of cooking (tender, but not soggy), strain the water and rinse the spaghetti with cold water to stop the cooking process; and set aside.
While the pasta is boiling, in a separate, deep skillet, add the ground beef and cook over medium heat. Use a spoon or spatula to break the ground beef up into small pieces.
After almost all of the pink is cooked out of the beef, add the onions and garlic. Continue to stir the mixture until all of the pink is cooked out of the ground beef.
Use a strainer to drain the grease off of the ground beef mixture, (do not rinse the meat). Add the ground beef back to the skillet, and turn heat to low-med.
Gently pour the tomato sauce into the skillet with the ground beef, and mix well. Add one cup of the reserved pasta water into the skillet and mix it together.
Sprinkle in all of the seasonings, and sugar (optional), and mix until combined. Next, add the Velveeta cheese and stir until the cheese is melted into the sauce. If it is too thick, slowly add in the remaining one cup of water.
Spray a deep casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Gently pour the spaghetti sauce into the dish. Next pour the cooked spaghetti noodles into the dish.
Add half of the mozzarella cheese into the dish with the pasta. Using tongs or a spoon, mix the sauce into the pasta and cheese until combined well.
Sprinkle the remaining remaining cheeses on over the top of the spaghetti. Add fresh basil or Italian seasoning over the top if desired.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. After the spaghetti bakes for 30 minutes, remove the foil and set the oven to broil.
Optional: Broil the spaghetti for 2-3 minutes KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON IT SO IT DOES NOT BURN! This step is to brown and crisp up the cheese on top of the spaghetti.
Remove the spaghetti from the oven and let it set for 5-7 minutes before serving. And enjoy!

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