Spaghetti Casserole
Spaghetti casserole is the ultimate comfort food—perfect for family dinners, potlucks, or just a cozy night in. It combines all the best parts of spaghetti with the convenience of a casserole, giving you a hearty, delicious meal that’s easy to make and sure to please everyone at the table.
Layered pasta, creamy mushroom sauce, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives combine to make a perfect weekend supper. It’s a must-make recipe!
Growing up, we ate a lot of baked pasta casseroles. My mom was a big fan, and this recipe for Spaghetti Casserole was one of her favorites.
This casserole is delicious comfort food and worth the extra assembly required to make it.
It’s messy to eat but so good. It’s also huge, so it serves a good number of people. If your family is small, you’ll probably have some leftovers. It tastes just as good heated up the next day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delicious dinner
- Meal for the whole family
- Can make ahead of time and in bulk
- Cheesy goodness
- Good as leftovers
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
- Olive oil: Used to sauté the veggies and add flavor.
- Sweet onion: Brings a nice balance of sweetness and savory flavors.
- Green pepper: Adds a bit of crunch and freshness.
- Diced tomatoes: Form the base of the sauce, giving it a rich, tangy flavor.
- Sliced mushrooms: Add an earthy, meaty texture without any extra meat.
- Black olives: Provide a salty, briny flavor to complement the other ingredients.
- Dried oregano: A classic herb that gives the casserole a real Italian touch.
- Lean ground beef: The main protein that makes this dish filling and satisfying.
- Spaghetti noodles: The foundation of the casserole, holding all the flavors together.
- Cheddar cheese: Adds a sharp, tangy flavor and that perfect cheesy gooeyness.
- Cream of mushroom soup: Binds everything together while adding a creamy, mushroomy flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: Finishes off the casserole with a salty, nutty topping.
How to Make Spaghetti Casserole
Follow along to learn how to make spaghetti casserole!
- Step One: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Step Two: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, onions, and green peppers and cook, stirring often, for 7 to 9 minutes until the beef is no longer pink and the veggies are softened.
- Step Three: Add tomatoes, mushrooms, black olives and oregano. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step Four: Add half of the spaghetti to the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with ½ of the tomato/beef mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top. Repeat these layers a second time.
- Step Five: Mix the cream of mushroom soup and water in a small bowl. Pour evenly onto the casserole. Top with Parmesan cheese.
- Step Six: Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
What to Serve with It
Although this could be a meal on its own, here are some options you could include for a side dish.
- Dinner rolls
- Easy Garlic Twists
- Parmesan Roasted Carrots
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Best Broccoli Salad
- Wilted Spinach Salad
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap out the protein: Try substituting the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken. For more protein, you can add Italian sausages.
- Change the pasta: You can replace spaghetti noodles with other types of noodles. If you prefer, try using whole wheat or gluten-free pasta.
- Cheese options: For something unique, mix things up with mozzarella, Parmesan, ricotta, or even gouda or blue cheese.
- Fresh herbs: Add a pop of freshness with basil or parsley.
- Mediterranean twist: Incorporate capers or sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavor.
Storage Instructions
Spaghetti Casserole is best stored covered in the fridge for no more than three days.
Can I Freeze?
Yes, you can freeze Spaghetti Casserole if covered and eaten within three months to avoid freezer burn!
How to Reheat
If frozen, let it thaw in the fridge overnight to reheat your spaghetti casserole. Preheat your oven to 350°F, cover the casserole with foil, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated. For a quicker option, reheat individual portions in the microwave on medium power for 2-3 minutes until warmed.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Choosing the pasta: While spaghetti is traditional, other pasta shapes like penne, fusilli, or elbow macaroni work great too. Just follow the cooking directions on the box to get the perfect texture.
- Experiment with meats: Ground beef is classic, but you can try Italian sausage, ground turkey, or even a mix of meats to bring new flavors to your dish.
- Boost the veggies: Add onions, peppers, mushrooms, or spinach for extra nutrients and flavor.
- Cheese it up: Beyond cheddar, try layering mozzarella, ricotta, or a combo of ricotta and Parmesan for a rich, creamy twist.
- Make-ahead magic: If you’re short on time, assemble the casserole the night before and store it in the fridge. Then, pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat!
How to Make Spaghetti Noodles Taste Better
Start by cooking your spaghetti in salted water (about one tablespoon of salt per 4 quarts of water). The salt enhances the pasta’s flavor, making a big difference in the final dish.
Cook the pasta al dente, meaning it should still have a little bite to it. Overcooked pasta can get mushy, especially in a casserole, so check it a minute or two before the recommended cooking time.
And finally, using high-quality pasta, like one made from durum wheat semolina, will give you a better texture and flavor that holds up well with the sauce.
Easy Dinner Recipes
- Spaghetti Bake
- Spaghetti Pie
- Cheesy Hamburger Supper
- Beef Noodle Bake
- Mexican Spaghetti
- Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
- Tater Tot Casserole
- One-Pan Spaghetti
- Impossible Cheeseburger Pie
- Pierogi Casserole
- Tortellini Casserole
- Shipwreck Casserole
- Cabbage Roll Casserole
Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie, TikTok @simplystacierecipes or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.
Spaghetti Casserole
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes 28oz can
- 1 can sliced mushrooms 8oz/284ml can, drained
- ½ cup black olives sliced
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 4 cups spaghetti noodles cooked, divided
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup 10.5oz/284ml can
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef, onions and green peppers and cook, stirring often, about 7 to 9 minutes, until beef is no longer pink and veggies are softened.
- Add tomatoes, mushrooms, black olives and oregano. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add half of the spaghetti to the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with ½ of the tomato/beef mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top. Repeat these layers a second time.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cream of mushroom soup and water. Pour evenly on to the casserole. Top with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see it! Make sure to share it on your favorite social platform.
Want Even More Recipes?
Join Moms Best Recipes to find more delicious family recipes.
free ebook!
The Best of Simply Stacie
When you subscribe to the newsletter for the latest updates!
What a wonderfu lcasserole that I will love trying out.It looks very deliciousand a real comfort food.!
I would love to make this dish for my family
I also love casseroles and like all the ingredients in this one.
This looks delicious (minus the olives)!
You are rockin the recipes!! This one looks amazing, too. Reminds me of a dish that we have at our favorite local pizza restaurant and it is so good…I love the olives!
This looks bomb, the combination of the two is awesome and a delicious idea.
I never used to like olives, but as an adult the taste has really grown on me. This casserole would be yummy.
I always have leftover spaghetti on hand. This would be a yummy way to use it up.
I never hated much as kid except for my mom’s white sauce on waffles, and still think I wouldn’t want to eat that, but a casserole like this would be great.
Interesting the many people who want to omit the olives; it was the olives in the pictures of the dish that immediately sold me on this recipe! Â
This looks delicious. I love making casseroles but I have never made a spaghetti casserole so I’d love to try this recipe one day.
Oh boy this casserole sounds really yummy! I’m not a big olive fan, so could just leave them out.
There was never a particular dish I hated as a child, just ingredients… I hated mushrooms, olives, mayonnaise, mustard, etc. Starting around 12, I started to love these flavours in my food and even raw.
I do like the sound of this casserole, sounds like something I’d enjoy eating, (leaving aside the olives) so thanks for sharing. 🙂 I was a pretty picky child as regards food, I didn’t like onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, mutton. Most things I do enjoy now apart from cabbage and mutton that is, oh and spicy foods, peanut butter & popcorn.
Great way to use leftovers
Sounds like something my family would enjoy, just minus the olives. Thanks for sharing.
This looks really good. I’m a mom that loves making casseroles too…they’re usually easy and leftovers taste great! Regarding your question about things one hated as a kid but eat now…I only liked corn as a vegetable, but now I love almost all vegetables.
This sounds like my dream leftovers meal. I’d have to pass on the cream of mushrooms (but you’re right it looks kinda good on this)
Now I’m craving spaghetti and it’s only 9:55 am lol
We’re not olive fans in our house, either but looks and sounds delish otherwise!
Sounds really good, but without the olives for our family.