Million Dollar Taco Spaghetti – easy baked Mexican spaghetti casserole that tastes like a million bucks! Perfect for when you can’t decide between tacos & spaghetti! Ground beef, taco seasoning, Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and Mexican cheese blend. Can make in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. Great for potlucks! #mexican #pasta #spaghetti #freezermeal #groundbeef
Remember this recipe.
Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!
Pin This RecipeEasy Baked Taco Spaghetti
Million Dollar Taco Spaghetti – easy baked Mexican spaghetti casserole that tastes like a million bucks! Perfect for when you can’t decide between tacos & spaghetti for dinner! Pasta, cheese, and a taco meat sauce baked in one dish. SO good! This makes a lot of pasta. We ate this for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day. It was just as good (if not better) reheated. Whip up a salad and some bread and dinner is done!
How to Make Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti
This baked spaghetti is very easy to make. Start with cooking the spaghetti noodles. While the pasta is going, cook the ground beef. Add taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, and spaghetti sauce. Mix together cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream. To assemble the casserole, place half the pasta in a baking dish. Top the pasta with the cheese mixture. Add the remaining pasta and cover it with the meat sauce and top with cheese. Pop the casserole in the oven and bake.
Tips for Making Baked Spaghetti
- Can I make this casserole ahead of time? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate overnight. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
- Can I freeze baked spaghetti? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and freeze it unbaked for later. When ready to bake, thaw completely and bake as directed below.
- This makes a lot of baked spaghetti. You can make half a recipe in a 9-inch baking dish or split the casserole between two pans. Bake one now and freeze one for later.
- I don’t like cottage cheese. What can I substitute for it? This casserole is great with cottage cheese. I don’t eat cottage cheese out of the container, but I love it in casseroles. If you just can’t do it, you can try substituting ricotta cheese.
- You can substitute ground turkey or ground pork for ground beef.
- I used a bag of Mexican cheese blend in this recipe. You can use any cheese that you prefer – Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, White Cheddar.
- This recipe uses a can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles. You can use any heat level you prefer – Mild, Regular, Hot, or Mexican Rotel.
- My favorite store-bought spaghetti sauces are Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara (green label), Rao’s, La Famiglia DelGrosso, and Victoria.
What to Serve with Taco Spaghetti
This baked spaghetti was a huge hit at our house. I’ve made this several times and it gets devoured every single time. We love all the creamy cheese and the kick in the sauce from the taco seasoning and Rotel. We serve this casserole with a salad and some rolls. Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this Mexican pasta casserole:
Mexican Chopped Salad
Mexican Chopped Salad – the perfect side to all of your favorite Mexican recipes! Lettuce, corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocados,…
Butter Swim Biscuits – Butter Dips
Butter Swim Biscuits Recipe – only 6 simple ingredients! You probably have them in your pantry right now! No yeast…
Garlic Parmesan Skillet Bread
Garlic Parmesan Skillet Bread – refrigerated biscuits chopped and tossed in butter, garlic, italian seasoning and parmesan cheese. Baked in…
Crunchy Romaine Toss
Crunchy Romaine Toss – CRAZY GOOD!!! Had this at a dinner party and everyone raved about it. I had to…
Million Dollar Taco Spaghetti
Ingredients:
- 1 (16-oz) package spaghetti
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 (1-oz) package taco seasoning
- 1 (10-oz) can Rotel tomatoes , undrained
- 1 (28-oz) jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp parsley
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet brown ground beef. Drain fat from skillet. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, and spaghetti sauce. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, softened cream cheese, sour cream, parsley and garlic powder.
- In a lightly sprayed 9×13-inch pan, place half of the cooked pasta in the bottom of the dish. Spread cream cheese mixture over noodles. Top with remaining noodles. Pour meat sauce over noodles and top with Mexican cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes:
- You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate overnight. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
- You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and freeze it unbaked for later. When ready to bake, thaw completely and bake as directed above.
- This makes a lot of baked spaghetti. You can make half a recipe in a 9-inch baking dish or split the casserole between two pans. Bake one now and freeze one for later.
- This casserole is great with cottage cheese. I don’t eat cottage cheese out of the container, but I love it in casseroles. If you just can’t do it, you can try substituting ricotta cheese.
- You can substitute ground turkey or ground pork for ground beef.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning made with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
- I used a bag of Mexican cheese blend in this recipe. You can use any cheese that you prefer – Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, White Cheddar.
- This recipe uses a can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles. You can use any heat level you prefer – Mild, Regular, Hot, or Mexican Rotel.
- My favorite store-bought spaghetti sauces are Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara (green label), Rao’s, La Famiglia DelGrosso, and Victoria.
Steph
Remember this recipe.
Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!
Pin This Recipe
I made this for the family and they LOVED it. I substituted chicken for hamburger. Cut it into small chunks and cook add the recipe says. Great dish! Thanks!!
Can I use this as crock pot
I haven’t tried this in the crockpot, so I can not say for sure. My guess is that it would be OK, but I just don’t know how the pasta holds up.
We tried this spaghetti tonight. OMGosh IT IS THE BEST!! We luv’d it. It’s just the two of us. and my hubby has ate most of the 9×13 by himself. We also put some spicey ranchero sauce on top. It will be go into my meal rotation. Lol Thank you!
I made this for supper tonight. I followed the recipe exactly and it is delicious!
Everyone loved it and I will be making it again 😉
We will try this also but will use chorizo which we use in a lot of dishes now and maybe a few jalapenos. Love the idea of using cottage cheese, will let you know.
Love baked spaghetti, can’t wait to try this.