A perfect potluck casserole, this one feeds a crowd! Using a basic tomato based spaghetti meat sauce as a base with layer of spaghetti noodles & cheese, finished with a cream soup topping.
Baked Spaghetti
Baked Spaghetti is a fantastic meal for any day, but most especially for feeding a crowd, making it perfect for potlucks, church suppers and social events.
This one has been a favorite around my house ever since the first time I made it. It comes from the cookbook Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood {affil link}, another favorite, and it is simply delicious. Check out the Hot Corn Dip I made from the new cookbook and the Warm Feta and Artichoke Dip I made from her first cookbook too while you're visiting.
This baked spaghetti starts pretty much the same as with any spaghetti - boiling the noodles and putting together a meat sauce.
When I make spaghetti, I like to break up the noodles to make them more bite manageable, so I usually break them in half. I know that is a tad bit upsetting to some folks of Italian heritage, but well, I'm not particularly superstitious about it, so it doesn't bother me. Do what you prefer.
If you have little ones, you can break them down into another half. It just makes it much easier to eat, especially when it's in a casserole like this.
Trisha Yearwood adds 1 small (2.25 ounce) can of sliced black olives drained, along with 3 (14.5) cans of diced tomatoes with the liquid, part of which I exchange for Rotel tomatoes.
The olives are added with the tomatoes and combined with all of the other sauce ingredients. I happen to love olives but generally omit them, since The Cajun doesn't like them and often, this dish is traveling for other people to eat.
I like the added punch of Rotel tomatoes, and often substitute them for at least part of the tomatoes, when a recipe calls for plain diced tomatoes. There are several varieties of Rotel available these days, depending on the heat level you prefer. I used to use the original version but I guess my taste buds have changed a tad, because those are a little to hot for me know, so I've switched to mild.
Use a little additional beef broth if you need to loosen the sauce up more to make up the difference in the juices. From there it's just layering and then baking.
Here's how to make my version of Trisha Yearwood's baked spaghetti.
Spread half of the cooked spaghetti noodles in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan.
Top that with half of the meat sauce. I love this meat sauce, which includes bacon. When I use bacon in a meal like this, I usually use my kitchen shears to cut it directly into the pan. It makes an easy job of "slicing" bacon. I also substituted Italian seasoning for the dried oregano and use substantially less than what the original recipe called for, which I felt would be a bit too strong for my tastes.
Sprinkle half of the cheese on top of that and repeat with another layer of noodles, sauce and cheese. I used Cheddar cheese, but Mozzarella or other cheeses would work well - just use your favorite kind.
Mix the cream of mushroom soup with water and spread on top. I've also used my homemade cream of mushroom soup in place of the canned variety, and it worked beautifully!
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top of that and bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot in the middle.
I'm a big fan of baked spaghetti and this one is fantastic. Great for a family meal with plenty of leftovers, and perfect for a potluck or church social. I know it'll become a favorite of yours too.
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Adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood {affil link} To see all of my Trisha Yearwood recipes, click right here.
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