Tinis Baked Spaghetti Fusion (Printable Version)

Creamy cheese sauce and savory ground beef layered with baked spaghetti for a hearty casserole.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Cheese Sauce

01 - 12 oz spaghetti
02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
06 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
10 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Meat Sauce

11 - 1 lb ground beef
12 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
13 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
14 - 24 oz jar marinara sauce
15 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
16 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
17 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Topping

18 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
19 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
20 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil salted water and cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and drain excess fat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in marinara sauce, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
05 - Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cook until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
06 - Remove sauce from heat. Stir in mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth.
07 - Mix cooked spaghetti with cheese sauce until fully coated.
08 - Place half of pasta mixture in prepared dish. Top with half of meat sauce. Repeat layers.
09 - Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top.
10 - Bake for 25–30 minutes until bubbly and golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to manage three separate pots at the stove.
  • The creamy cheese sauce and meat sauce layer together so everything tastes connected, not like two dishes thrown together.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day when flavors settle.
02 -
  • Do not skip tempering the milk when making the cheese sauce—add it slowly while whisking, or you'll end up with scrambled flour flecks instead of sauce.
  • The resting period after baking is not optional; cutting into hot casserole will make it collapse and look like a mess, even though it tastes fine.
03 -
  • Brown the beef on medium-high heat until deeply colored; rusty brown means better flavor than pale gray.
  • Taste the meat sauce before it goes into the casserole and adjust seasoning boldly—the cheese will soften it, so what tastes slightly strong now will be perfect layered in.
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