This is what happens when spaghetti decides to live a more luxurious life.

By

Leah Colins

Senior Culinary Editor

Leah is the Senior Culinary Editor at Serious Eats, and was previously a recipe developer and editor with America’s Test Kitchen for almost 9 years. She has developed recipes for and edited over 20 cookbooks ranging in topic from bread baking to plant-based eating to outdoor grilling and so much more. While there, she also developed recipes and articles for Cooks Illustrated Magazine, Cooks Country Magazine, and ATK’s digital platform.Before her life as a recipe developer, she cooked in 5-star and Michelin-starred fine dining establishments from coast to coast such as The Herbfarm and Aubergine Restaurant at L’Auberge Carmel; she also treasures her time flipping burgers on flattops in her teenage years, and baking and boxing cookies and pies at a wonderful family-owned German bakery in her early professional life.

Published December 18, 2025

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Why It Works

• A robust meat sauce of beef, Italian sausage, tomato paste, and a touch of fish sauce delivers concentrated flavor that balances the rich dairy elements.
• A mozzarella- and Parmesan-enriched béchamel replaces the cream cheese and cottage cheese or ricotta mixture often used for this dish, creating a smoother, silkier layer that enriches the casserole without any graininess.

There’s rich, and then there’s Million Dollar Spaghetti—an unapologetically indulgent church-social classic that’s been holding potlucks together across the Midwest and South for decades. Traditionally, it’s built on layers of spaghetti, a quick meat sauce, and a mixture of cream cheese and cottage or ricotta cheese. But as we tested my way through the dish, we kept coming back to one big question: What if we traded the grainy dairy layer for something silkier, smoother, and just a little more luxurious?

This recipe, developed by Nicole Hopper in our Birmingham, Alabama, test kitchen, does just that. Instead of using a ricotta or cottage cheese layer, she makes a béchamel enriched with mozzarella and Parmesan. It becomes a velvety, pourable cheese sauce that glides between the noodles and meat as it would in a creamy lasagna—minus the fuss of stacking noodles and hoping everything stays upright.

The meat sauce leans Italian American–style and deeply savory, thanks to a mixture of beef and Italian sausage simmered with onion, tomato paste, and a splash of fish sauce that fades into the background, lending the whole pan a quiet but undeniable depth. The result is a casserole that eats like the best parts of lasagna, baked ziti, and mac and cheese all tangled together.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Once assembled, the dish bakes into a hefty, bubbling slab with golden edges and a top layer of cheese-enriched béchamel that browns beautifully and oozes into the pasta when sliced. Fresh from the oven is when it’s best, but leftovers do keep and reheat well.

This dish is also wonderfully make-ahead friendly. Both the meat sauce and the béchamel can be prepared up to a day in advance and stored separately in the refrigerator; a gentle rewarm makes them easier to layer. You can even assemble the entire dish through Step 4 up to three days ahead—just cover it tightly and refrigerate. When baking from chilled, tack on an extra 5 to 10 minutes to ensure the center heats through.

It also tolerates the freezer surprisingly well. For the best results, freeze the assembled casserole (before baking), thaw it overnight, then bake as directed. If you need to go straight from freezer to oven, it works in a pinch—just plan on a much longer bake time and expect a slightly softer, less saucy result, since the extended time in the oven gives the pasta more opportunity to absorb the sauce and encourages the béchamel to thicken further as it cooks.

Whether you’re feeding a crowd, stocking your freezer, or just leaning into the comfort-food maximalism the name promises, this casserole delivers every bit of its million-dollar swagger.

This recipe was developed by Nicole Hopper; The headnote was written by Leah Colins.

Keep Screen Awake

For the Meat Sauce:

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

1 medium-size yellow onion (8 ounces; 227 g), finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 pound (454 g) ground beef (85/15)

8 ounces (227 g) mild Italian sausage (bulk)

4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons (53 g) tomato paste

2 teaspoons (10 ml) Thai fish sauce such as Red Boat

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 dried bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste; for table salt, use half as much by volume

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28-ounce; 794 g) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

For the Béchamel:

5 tablespoons (76 g) unsalted butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (1.2 ounces; 42 g)

3 1/2 cups (830 ml; 850 g) whole milk

4 ounces (113 g) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1 ounce (28 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 1/4 cup packed)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Spaghetti:

1 pound (454 g) dried spaghetti

2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter

Cooking spray

3 ounces (85 g) Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup packed)

For the Meat Sauce: In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add beef and sausage and cook, stirring often to break up meat, until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, fish sauce, oregano, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until evenly combined and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Pour water into empty tomato can; swirl and pour into Dutch oven.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley 1.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and flavors develop, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf, and season to taste with additional salt and black pepper, if desired. Set aside and keep warm until ready to use.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley 1.

For the Béchamel: Meanwhile, in a wide 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk to form a paste, then cook, stirring until the raw flour smell is gone, about 1 minute. While whisking constantly, add milk in a thin, steady stream, whisking thoroughly and getting into all corners of the pan to maintain a homogeneous texture. Cook, stirring often, until sauce comes to a simmer and begins to thicken slightly. Reduce heat to low and continue simmering, stirring often, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley 1.

Gradually stir in mozzarella and Parmesan until melted. Sprinkle with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. If the cheese is struggling to melt, return the saucepan to low heat and whisk vigorously until melted. If any lumps form, simply whisk thoroughly to smooth out sauce. Use sauce right away, or press a piece of plastic wrap over surface of sauce to prevent a skin from forming and keep warm until ready to use.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley 1.

For the Spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions until 1 minute shy of al dente; drain. Transfer the spaghetti to a bowl, and toss with butter until melted, then toss with 3/4 cup béchamel until evenly coated.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley 1.

To Assemble the Million Dollar Spaghetti: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly coat a broiler-safe 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread spaghetti mixture evenly in prepared dish; spread meat sauce evenly over top of spaghetti. Spread remaining béchamel evenly over top of meat sauce; sprinkle evenly with Parmesan (baking dish will be very full). Place baking dish on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley 1.

Bake, uncovered, until heated through, bubbling around edges, and top is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. (If spaghetti is bubbling but needs more color on top, preheat oven to broil with rack about 7 inches from heat source. Broil until top is browned, about 2 minutes.) Remove from oven; let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Special Equipment

Dutch oven, 3-quart saucepan, large pot, strainer, broiler-safe 13- x 9-inch baking dish

Make-Ahead and Storage

The meat sauce and béchamel can be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Rewarm gently before assembling the casserole to make layering and spreading easier.

You can assemble the entire dish through Step 4 (spaghetti tossed with béchamel, meat sauce cooked and ready) up to 3 days ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate. When baking from chilled, expect to add 5 to 10 minutes to the oven time to ensure the center is fully heated through.

The dish also freezes well. To freeze, assemble through Step 4, let cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. For best results, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as directed, adding 5 to 10 minutes if needed.

Alternatively, bake the casserole straight from frozen, but plan for a much longer total bake time. Begin by baking the dish covered tightly with aluminum foil until the center is thawed (you should feel little to no resistance when inserting a paring knife), about 60 to 90 minutes, then uncover and continue baking for another 45 to 60 minutes, until the top is browned and the center reaches 160°F (71°C).

Leftovers keep well for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator; reheat covered in a 300°F (150°C) oven until warm throughout, or microwave individual portions until heated through.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
601	Calories
39g	Fat
35g	Carbs
30g	Protein

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Nutrition Facts Servings: 8 to 10 Amount per serving Calories 601 % Daily Value* 39g 50% Saturated Fat 17g 86% 107mg 36% 1161mg 50% 35g 13% Dietary Fiber 3g 12% Total Sugars 11g 30g Vitamin C 10mg 52% Calcium 311mg 24% Iron 4mg 22% Potassium 789mg 17% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)