Million Dollar Spaghetti

Which is better? Spaghetti or Lasagna? Ya, ya they are both great, but can you choose just one? Well spaghetti is faster, but lasagna is fancier. Asking which is better is like answering a million dollar question. Well, I have a million dollar answer (see what I did there? 😉)! Just merge the two! Bam! You get the best of both worlds, the spaghetti noodle you can slurp up mixed with the ricotta cheese blend, baked to flavor perfection! 

Remember that one time you were getting everything out to start dinner and you were missing several ingredients?? Man that sucked! To prevent that from happening again, take this list with you to the kitchen and do a quick inventory. Make sure you're all set!

If you are short an ingredient or two, here is a list of substitutions to help out!

SUBSTITUTIONS:

• Italian Sausage - Ground beef, ground turkey, or omit the meat and add in some zucchini, squash and onion for a tasty vegetarian option!
• Mushrooms are an optional but delish item.
• Ricotta Cheese- Small curd cottage cheese drained and mashed with a little onion powder. Mashing it is optional if you like the size of the curd.
• Spaghetti Noodles- Any noodle option will work. Just make sure whatever noodle used is cooked to almost soft with a slight hardness. We are going for al dente. 
• Sour Cream- Sub with cream cheese or extra ricotta. 
• Italian Seasoning- Sub with a mixture of oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary and marjoram. Equal parts all mixed together. If you are low on any of those, just use some of what you have and then the rest of the flavors can come from the spaghetti sauce.
• Mozzarella Cheese- Any shredded cheese will work. If possible stick with Mozzarella, parmesan or an Italian blend.
• Noodles: If you are looking for a lower carb option, I like the Protein Plus Noodles from Barilla. I also like the Banza Chickpea Noodles.

PRO-TIPS that will really help the overall quality of the dish!

• When you drain the pasta, DON'T ADD OIL, DON'T RINSE. It needs to be dry. Any added moisture will make things watery.
• Drain the meat well. I like to line a plate with paper towels and blot the meat dry. Again, any added moisture makes the end result watery.
• Don't try to spread the creamy cheesy mixture. It just makes things messy. Little dollops all over will melt and blend beautifully while baking.
• The recipe calls for half a bottle of marinara per layer. Use more if you would like! That's just a minimum!

Follow the layering order shown below. You will use half the ingredients for the first round of layers and the remaining ingredients for the last round of layers.

While it bakes, prepare your sides, then serve and enjoy!

SUGGESTED SIDES:

• Cesar Salad. I love getting the salad kits like THIS ONE. Its super kid friendly to put together. Everything being pre measured makes it easy to help your little Sous Chef gain some independence and confidence! When my little one (who really isn't so little anymore) was too young to open the packaging, I would open everything and set it all out so she could dump it in. Then slowly got to the point that I can just ask her to make a salad kit and she gets everything she needs and takes care of it. 
• Green Beans
• Asparagus
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Bread Sticks.
• Garlic Bread
• Zucchini and Squash
• Carrot, Broccoli, Squash, Green Bean and Cauliflower mix. I love getting the steam able frozen veggie packs that you can just throw in the microwave. I love the ones from Target. CLICK HERE to see my top favorite frozen vegetable.

MAKE AHEAD OPTIONS:

This meal freezes well, just like lasagna.

• Instead of a glass 9x13 baking dish use an aluminum disposable baking dish that has a lid. I recommend THIS ONE. It is designed to be reheated and has an oven safe lid. 
• Follow recipe directions up to baking. Put the lid on the pan and make sure you seal it well. Follow the directions on the package. I like to write on top of my freezer meals the cooking temp and time. If you feel like its not sealed as well as you would like, add a layer of tin foil on top.
• Take it out of the freezer a couple of hours before baking. Don't let thaw completely because the noodles will soak up the moisture and become soggy. Bake with lid on for 40-50 minutes or until the middle is warmed and cheese is melted, then remove the lid and keep cooking for 7-10 min or until cheese is melted and golden brown. 

This can be done in the crock-pot as well. Follow the recipe until the baking stage, with the exception of the noodles. Cook the noodles until they can bend but aren't soft. They will finish cooking in the crock pot. Cook on High for three hours or Low for six hours. I recommend low setting to let the flavors all blend together!