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A serving of baked spaghetti with stretchy melted cheese and a meatball.
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5 from 3 votes

Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs

Cheesy baked spaghetti and meatballs is a no-boil pasta bake with tender noodles, hearty meatballs, and melted cheese all in one dish. For another shortcut, use frozen meatballs.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked spaghetti and meatballs, one pot baked spaghetti
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • ¾ cup breadcrumbs or crushed crackers
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ package onion soup mix
  • 1 pound lean ground beef

For the Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

  • 16 ounces dry spaghetti
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
  • 1 ½ cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
  • 2 to 3 sprigs fresh basil chopped

Instructions

Mix the Meatballs (or use frozen meatballs)

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. 
  • Add the breadcrumbs, egg, and chicken broth to a large bowl and let the breadcrumbs soak for a few minutes. 
    Mixing bread crumbs with eggs.
  • Stir in Parmesan and onion soup mix then add the ground beef and mix gently until well combined. 
    Mixing bread crumbs with ground beef.
  • Form the mixture into 15 to 18 meatballs (about 1-½ inches big). Set the meatballs aside.
    Rolling meat into balls and setting aside.

Assemble the Baked Spaghetti

  • Spread the dry pasta into the baking dish and drizzle olive oil over the top. Pour the marinara sauce and chicken broth over the noodles.
    Pouring tomato sauce on top of spaghetti noodles then adding the chicken broth.
  • Add the Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Use tongs to lift the pasta and toss the mixture until well combined. Make sure the sauce completely coats the pasta and gets to the bottom of the casserole dish.
    Adding seasonings and cheese then stirring everything together to coat the noodles in the sauce.
  • Arrange the meatballs on top of the pasta. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake, covered for 35 minutes then remove the aluminum foil and give everything a good stir.
    Wiggle the tongs between the meatballs and scrape the bottom and sides of the dish. Twist the tongs a bit to make sure the sauce falls between and under the pasta. 
    Covering the casserole dish with aluminum foil.
  • Return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.
  • Top the dish with Mozzarella cheese and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle chopped basil over the top and serve. 
    Topping a spaghetti casserole with cheese.

Notes

Stir halfway through baking: This helps the spaghetti cook evenly and keeps it from clumping together.
Cover, then uncover: Bake covered first to keep the pasta moist, then uncover at the end for a golden, bubbly top.
Let it rest before serving: A short 5–10 minute rest makes slicing and serving easier.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 796mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g
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