Red and White Spaghetti Casserole

This spin on a classic dish takes comfort food to a whole new level.

The hubs and I were only one bite into this when the “Mmmmm!” sounds began. This recipe earned so many stars in our “tried-and-true” white binder of recipes. Where do I even begin? Well for starters, this recipe eliminates the problem of noodles flinging sauce everywhere and the whole mess that goes along with usual spaghetti meal. That’s right, you can eat this spaghetti with your fork and get this, THE SPAGHETTI WILL STAY ON YOUR FORK! It’s a beautiful thing.

That’s just one good reason why we like this recipe…not to mention that the white sauce adds a little more elegance, making it a dish worthy of company.

This casserole was a cinch to make. The spaghetti sauce added just the right tanginess to the creamy white sauce.

Oh and did I mention that there’s very little mess involved? And you don’t have to worry about making an idiot out of yourself trying to keep your spaghetti on your fork? Yeah, I like that. You will too, trust me.

Here’s what you’ll need for spaghetti sauce:

1 onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 cup broth
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. grill seasoning
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. italian seasoning
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Here’s what you’ll need for the casserole:

1 box whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained
1 box cream cheese
2 cups sour cream
1 lb. ground beef

1. To make the spaghetti sauce, sauté garlic and onion in large pot until onion is translucent. Add the tomato paste and saute one minute longer.

2. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.

3. In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain the fat. Add half of the spaghetti sauce to the ground beef. Save the other half of the sauce in a separate container to freeze for later use.

4. Once the meat has been combined in the sauce for a few minutes, remove from heat.

5. In a bowl, mix softened cream cheese and sour cream.

6. Time to put together the casserole! In a casserole pan, first add half of the cooked spaghetti noodles. Next layer, spread the white cream sauce over the noodles. Then add the rest of the noodles. On top of the noodles, spoon on the spaghetti meat sauce.

7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Enjoy!