Baked Spaghetti

https://dinnerthendessert.com/baked-million-dollar-spaghetti/

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti , cooked two minutes shy of directions and drained
• 1 pound chicken Italian sausage (or ground beef)
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic , minced
• chopped veggies of choice (optional~we used 1 small zucchini, 1 head chopped spinach, and 1 jar sliced olives~mushrooms, eggplant, peppers would also be good)
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper)
• 32 oz jar Marinara Sauce
• 8 ounces cream cheese , softened (goat cheese, ricotta, or other soft cheeses are also good~sometimes I use a mix of all to get rid of things in the fridge)
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (we like a sprinkle of parmesan too)
• parsley , chopped (optional as a garnish)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet add the sausage,onions, & garlic into the pan and cook thoroughly.  
3. Once browned, turn off the heat, drain the liquid left in the pan and transfer to a mixing bowl.  Then mix in one cup of the marinara sauce.
4. Iff using veggies, saute veggies in the pan for 5 minutes until softened. Add the remaining marinara sauce.
5. Add the cooked spaghetti to the marinara sauce mixture and toss to combine.
6. Mix the cream cheese and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese in a bowl.
7. Add half the pasta/sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
8. Add the cream cheese mixture and top with the remaining pasta/sauce mixture.
9. Add the meat sauce mixture on top of the pasta and top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.
10. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
11. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly