Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti


A baked spaghetti casserole that’s amazingly cheesy and creamy. It’s comfort food at its best, and EASIEST!

I know. It’s the day after Labor Day, we’re just about to start football season, and I post this instead of some sort of post-Labor-Day-juice-cleanse-quinoa-health-kick type recipe.


Sorry guys, but you’ll need your stretchy pants for this.







It’s pure comfort food at its best – so no. It is not diet-friendly. It is not skinny. It is not light. It’s just the best kind of spaghetti.


It’s a spaghetti casserole with layers of pasta noodles, cream cheese and sour cream, and a meaty-marinara sauce, baked to cheesy perfection.


It’s enough to feed a crowd or feed a party of two all week long. You win either way.

Prep Time 15 minutes  Cook Time 25 minutes   Total Time 40 minutes








Ingredients:
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions:

 1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.

 2-In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

 3-Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and onion and cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drain excess fat.

 4-Stir in crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, parsley and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

 5-In a small bowl, whisk together cream cheese and sour cream.

 6-Add pasta to the prepared baking dish and layer with cream cheese and beef mixture; sprinkle with cheeses.

 7-Place into oven and bake until bubbly and heated through, about 15-20 minutes.

 8-Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

 This recipe is a great source of many key nutrients needed during pregnancy: iron, folate, calcium, and protein. This is a smart choice for all your expecting mamas out there!

Nutritional information provided by Jessica Penner, RD at Smart Nutrition.
by:damndelicious.net

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