Baked Spaghetti

i often find recipes i really like, make them a couple of times and then never make it again. i guess i am always trying to find new recipes or create original recipes myself, that golden gems seem to slip between the cracks or get lost in the dusty files of my head.

this baked spaghetti is one such recipe. a friend made this back when i was in college. i liked it so much i asked for the recipe and made it a couple of times myself. i remembered it a while ago and made a mental note to make it for my clients who love italian food. i made this baked spaghetti for them this week and forgot how good it looked. i decided right then and there to make it for myself when i got home.

of course, i have long since lost the printed recipe so i just went with what i remembered and it turned out really well. this makes a large amount so you can do one of three things. make the whole thing in a big 8x13" pan, make 2 smaller 8x8" pans and freeze one (this is my preference, cook once, enjoy it twice), or half the recipe. i like to use ground bison for myself but i used ground beef for my clients and have had success with ground turkey before too.

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Baked Spaghetti

1 box spaghetti (or angel hair) cooked according to package directions for al dente
1 lb ground meat (bison, beef, or turkey)
1 medium onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
15 oz small curd cottage cheese
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup shredded italian cheese

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

brown meat over medium high heat until almost cooked through. add in onion and garlic and continue to cook until onion is tender. add cream cheese and stir until melted. remove from heat and add cottage cheese and stir to combine.

in a medium bowl, stir together crushed tomatoes and parmesan cheese.

in a large 8x13" greased baking dish (or 2 8x8" greased baking dishes) spoon enough tomato sauce to just thinly cover the bottom of the baking dish. layer half of the cooked spaghetti on top of the tomato sauce. spoon the beef mixture over the noodles and top with remaining spaghetti. top with remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle shredded italian cheese all over top of sauce. bake for 25-35 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes. slice and serve.