Million Dollar Baked Ziti

Million Dollar Baked Ziti is the ultimate comfort food that tastes like a million bucks! It’s packed with layers of tender noodles, ground meat, spaghetti sauce, and plenty of cheesy goodness. There is something for the whole family in this hearty, crowd-pleasing dish!

How to Make Million Dollar Baked Ziti

Whether you’re hosting guests or just craving a comforting family dinner, this meal is always a hit! As an added plus, it’s very kid-friendly. My kids beg for it on repeat! It’s really a complete meal all on its own, but I love to serve it with a simple caesar salad and garlic bread.

1. Boil the Pasta: Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a 6-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the ziti according to the instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.
2. Brown the Meat: Meanwhile, cook the Italian sausage and ground beef in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until no pink remains.
3. Add Garlic: Drain off the fat and add the garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add Sauce and Simmer: Adding the spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer over medium heat before reducing the heat to lower and simmering for 10 minutes.
5. Make the Cheese Mixture: Add the cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup of the mozzarella to a medium bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until combined.
6. Add Mixture to Sauce: Add the cottage cheese mixture to the meat sauce.
7. Stir and Combine: Stir until it has all melted and combined.
8. Mix in the Noodles: Stir the cooked ziti noodles into the sauce. Pour everything into the prepared baking dish.
9. Bake: Top with the remaining 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cheese is melted and browned on top. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve.

Tips for Perfect Million Dollar Baked Ziti

Million dollar baked ziti is a family favorite you’re sure to love! Here are some tips to ensure the best results when making this easy Italian dish.

• Can I cut the recipe in half? If you want to make this recipe for a smaller amount of people (5-6), cut all the ingredients in half and bake it in a 3 or 4-quart baking dish for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and browning.
• Taste Before Seasoning! Taste the sauce before mixing in the noodles. Season with salt and pepper if desired. I didn’t feel it needed any, but you may add salt and pepper to taste if you would like.
• Can I switch up the meat? I used 1 pound of Italian sausage and 1 pound of ground beef for this recipe. But you may use ground turkey, ground chicken, or spicy Italian sausage if you would prefer!
• Do I have to use cottage cheese? If you don’t like cottage cheese, don’t worry! It melts away completely and adds a delicious tang to the sauce. If you still don’t want to use cottage cheese, you may replace it with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
• Pasta Perfection! If you prefer your pasta to be more al dente, I recommend cooking it only half of the suggested cooking time on the pasta package. The noodles will continue to cook in the oven as the pasta bakes, so this will prevent them from becoming too soft.