Spaghetti Bake
This chicken builds spaghetti noodles, ground turkey or beef and spaghetti sauce into a weeknight-friendly meal you can have ready in about 70 minutes. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 8 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and frying pan / skillet. At medium difficulty across 8 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (8)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: contains meat, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 180C and lightly grease a 23 by 33 cm baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti noodles until just shy of al dente, then drain.
- While the pasta cooks, brown the ground turkey or beef with the diced onion in a skillet over medium-high heat until no pink remains and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 74C, draining off any excess fat.
- Stir the spaghetti sauce and italian seasoning into the meat, season with salt, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, blend the softened cream cheese with the cottage cheese and light sour cream until well combined.
- Spread half the cooked noodles in the dish, dollop over all of the cheese mixture, then top with the remaining noodles and cover with the meat sauce.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top and bake for 30 minutes until bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden.
- Let the bake rest for 10 minutes before serving so it sets enough to slice cleanly.
You'll use: Oven · Frying pan / skillet · Large pot · Saucepan · Blender
Ingredient substitutions
- Sour Cream
- plain Greek yogurt · crème fraîche
Tips & common questions
How long does Spaghetti Bake take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 8 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of sour cream?
Try plain Greek yogurt. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Spaghetti Bake is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Baked Spaghetti with mushrooms.JPG by Robert Loescher, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.