Easy Southern Baked Spaghetti
This cheesy Southern baked spaghetti recipe is one that the whole family will love and is super easy to prepare. Spaghetti pasta is combined with tomato sauce, chopped veggies, ground meat, and delicious spices then topped with lots of cheese and baked up until golden and bubbly!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 423kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried spaghetti pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable or canola oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper rinsed, seeded, and chopped
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey, chicken, or plant-based meat
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
- 1, 24-ounce jar pasta sauce store-bought
- 1, 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- ⅔ cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large saucepan until al dente according to package instructions, drain, and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot.
- Add chopped onion and bell pepper and cook until onion is translucent and veggies begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about another minute.
- Add ground meat, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, and cook until almost cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Season meat mixture with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, and crushed red pepper. Stir to combine everything.
- Add pasta sauce and diced tomatoes and give everything another good stir. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add cooked spaghetti and stir until all ingredients are well combined.
- Carefully transfer spaghetti to your prepared baking dish and top with shredded cheeses. Bake spaghetti for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve spaghetti immediately with cornbread or garlic bread if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- This baked spaghetti can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for five days
- You can also freeze this spaghetti by storing it in a zip-top freezer bag and wrapping it in plastic wrap. Frozen spaghetti will keep for up to three months
- See blog post for other important tips and suggestions
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 26.7g | Fat: 14.2g | Saturated Fat: 4.6g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 436mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 2.7g | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 4mg