Simplify Dinner with this delicious Spaghetti Mac! This meal is filling, quick and feeds a large family. It is also perfect for leftovers!
It's comfort food time which calls for warm filling meals! That's exactly what you are going to get with this recipe. Have a large family? This recipe is for you. Don't have a large family? This recipe is still for you. For those who don't have a large family, this recipe is perfect for leftovers. One thing for sure, this casserole will provide you with a meal for at least a few days and save you a lot of time.
We're going to make this recipe just like you would make spaghetti, then place it in a casserole dish with cheese and bake it. We are using a pre-made sauce by Prego. They make the best spaghetti sauce! This casserole is great with a side salad or any other veggie of your choice. A side of bread is even better!
More recipes --> Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, Cheesy Spaghetti Bake, Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients needed for the Spaghetti Mac:
- Ground beef
- Spaghetti sauce
- Uncooked spaghetti noodles
- Sharp shredded cheese
- Yellow onion
- Green bell pepper
- Seasoned salt
- Garlic salt
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
Steps to make the Spaghetti Mac:
We are using large macaroni noodles. You want to use the large noodles vs. the small ones. I promise you that it makes a difference.
Cook them until they are al dente. You don't want to overcook the noodles because they will continue to cook when we place the spaghetti mac in the oven. I cooked mine for 7-10 minutes.
A good way to gauge whether or not they are ready is when you see them plump up. As soon as they plump, immediately transfer your noodles to a colander and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Steps to make the Spaghetti Mac continued...
To prepare your ground beef, place it in a large skillet and add plenty of seasoning. This recipe calls for onion and garlic powder, garlic and seasoned salt and black pepper.
We're not going to use too much. Just a little bit of all of them. Also, we can't forget the yellow onion and bell pepper.
Add your diced onion and bell pepper right into the pan with the meat so it can all cook at the same time. Once your meat is brown, drain any excess oil from the beef.
Then add in your spaghetti sauce and mix everything together. Allow your ingredients for this spaghetti mac to simmer for about five minutes.
Now it's time to form our casserole!
Grab your Pyrex dish and spread the noodles along the bottom of the pan. Then pour your beef mixture over your noodles throughout the plan. Add ½ c of cheese and fold it into the casserole.
Then evenly spread the remainder of your cheese over the top of the casserole. And then you're ready to cover your dish with foil and place it in the oven.
Bake your casserole for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and it begins to bubble around the edges. And just like that dinner is ready!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Store the dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
The dish can be frozen for up to three months.
Spaghetti is made with spaghetti noodles and does not include cheese. Spaghetti Mac is made with macaroni noodles and includes cheese.
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Ingredients
- 3 lbs of ground beef
- 36 ounces spaghetti sauce
- 12 oz uncooked spaghetti noodles
- ½ + 1 ½ cups sharp shredded cheese
- ½ cup yellow onion- diced
- ½ cup green bell pepper- diced
- ½ tablespoon seasoned salt
- ½ tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large pan, add ground beef, bell pepper, onion, and garlic salt.
- Cook meat stirring occasionally until brown.
- While your meat is cooking, prepare your spaghetti noodles. Cook them until they are al dente (about 7-10 minutes).
- Once the noodles are done, immediately transfer them to a colander to stop the cooking process. Rinse them with cold water and sit them to the side.
- Once the meat is brown, drain the excess oil and return the pan to the stove.
- Add the spaghetti sauce, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a 3 qt. Pyrex dish, add ground beef mixture, cooked noodles, and ½ cup of cheese and fold together.
- Cover the top of the mixture with ½ cup of cheese.
- Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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