Baked Spaghetti Casserole
This baked spaghetti casserole is a budget-friendly family meal made with ground beef, spaghetti noodles, tomato soup, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, and onions. It's an excellent way to stretch a pound of ground beef into a hearty dinner that's perfect for leftovers and meal prep.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry spaghetti noodles
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
- 1 soup can water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until just tender. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, brown the ground beef with the diced onion in a large skillet. Drain any excess grease.
- Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, tomato soup, water, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the meat sauce and stir until evenly coated.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top.
- Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until bubbling around the edges, the cheese is melted, and the center reaches 165°F.
- Allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Kid Chef Jobs
- Measure the soup, water, cheese, and seasonings.
- Break the spaghetti into shorter pieces if desired before cooking.
- Stir the soups together after the meat has finished cooking.
- Mix the cooked spaghetti into the sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the casserole before baking.
Adult Helper
An adult should brown and drain the ground beef, safely cook and drain the spaghetti, handle the hot skillet and casserole dish, and place the casserole in and out of the oven.
Break Long Spaghetti for Easier Serving
Breaking the spaghetti noodles in half before cooking makes the finished casserole easier for children to scoop and serve. It also helps the noodles mix more evenly throughout the casserole.
Easy Variations
- Use ground turkey or Italian sausage instead of ground beef.
- Replace cheddar with mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or an Italian cheese blend.
- Add mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, carrots, or corn.
- Season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, or parsley.
- Top with Parmesan cheese or buttered breadcrumbs before baking.
- Substitute rotini, penne, or egg noodles for spaghetti.
Recipe, image, and content from
Kids-Cooking-Activities.com