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Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole being held up on a spoon over glass casserole dish
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📋 Healthy Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole Recipe

This healthier version of Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole has all the creaminess of a million dollar casserole, minus the calories! It's easy to make, a great way to enjoy spaghetti in a different form and you can also use up leftover spaghetti noodles!
Course dinner, main
Cuisine American, North American
Keyword casserole, leftover spaghetti noodles, million dollar
Special Diet casserole, million dollar, spaghetti, Weight Watchers
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 301kcal
Author Terri Gilson

Ingredients

  • 4 cups pasta sauce * you can use any type- *Classico is less WW points
  • 450 g spaghetti noodles *I used half of a 900 package
  • 1 lb extra lean ground beef
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese (fat-free)
  • ½ cup cream cheese (fat-free)
  • 10 oz - can of mushrooms
  • 3 cups low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 green onions, chopped
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C and spray a 11X13 lasagna pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cook spaghetti noodles in pot until done (if not using leftover noodles). Drain and set aside.
  • Cook ground beef, onions and green pepper (and mushrooms IF using fresh) on stovetop, in frying pan until ground beef is browned. Drain and return to pot.
  • Add pasta sauce, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic and Italian seasoning to pot with cooked ground beef. Cook over medium-low on stovetop, whisking until everything is incorporated.
  • Add mushrooms and cilantro. Remove from heat.
  • Mix spaghetti with sauce in lasagna pan (or in pot, then transfer to lasagna pan)
  • Sprinkle grated cheese on top, evenly distributed. *I like to finely grate the cheese for this recipe.
    collage of 6 photos showing how to make Healthy Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole
  • Bake for 20 minutes (uncovered), then turn up to broil (500 degrees F/260 degrees C for last 2 minutes or until it begins to bubble and brown a little (be sure to watch it very carefully as low-fat cheese burns quickly)

Garnish

  • Garnish with green onions and serve.

Notes

WW Points
You can click HERE to find out how many WW points this recipe is on your WW plan!
📖SUBSTITUTIONS
  • Cheese - you could use mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar
  • Mushrooms - use fresh if you prefer
  • Cilantro - you can use dried (use 1 teaspoon) but I highly recommend you use fresh
  • Green onions- I add them raw as a garnish, but you can bake them in (just mix them in when you are mixing the sauce with the noodles) or you could use chives
📖VARIATIONS
  • WW Friendlier - use spaghetti squash instead of pasta to make it even more WW friendly and/or use ground turkey instead of ground beef to make it even lighter. * If you can find fat-free cheddar cheese you can use that as well.
  • Pasta Sauce - you can use any type you like, but Classico is less WW point. You could also simply use my WW friendly Secret Ingredient Spaghetti & Meat Sauce
  • Spicy - add chili pepper flakes
  • Vegetarian -Skip the meat all together
  • Kid friendly - you may want to skip the green peppers if your kids don't like them
  • Pasta -I use 'smart pasta," because it cooks faster than whole wheat pasta and has more fibre than white pasta (see Top Tip)
💭TOP TIP
If you're wondering which spaghetti noodles to use, although whole wheat is healthy, it takes a long time to cook. And personally, I find it a bit too dense. I prefer to use "smart pasta" because it cooks faster than the whole wheat but you still get 4X as much fibre than if you ate white pasta. Although it's not quite as healthy as the whole wheat, you are still getting that fibre. If you're not a fan of whole wheat, it's a good alternative. You can learn more about smart pasta HERE!
🍽EQUIPMENT
l love to cook this in a lasagna pan that comes with a lid (affiliate link) so I can pop it the whole dish into the fridge or freezer once it's done. It's great for cooking and storing.
🌡️STORAGE
This recipe can be stored in a sealed container for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen in a sealed container for up to 3 months. If I'm going to freeze the entire recipe, I freeze it in this lasagna pan (affiliate link) then seal it with Glad Press n' Seal (affiliate link) before I put the cover on the pan to freeze.
TO REHEAT:
I love using this casserole reheating technique - it prevents the casserole from drying out. Simply bring the casserole out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost (preferably in the fridge). Ideally, you want to keep it at room temperature for about 30 minutes to an hour before you put it in the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C, remove the lid and plastic wrap, then tightly seal your casserole dish with aluminum foil (shiny side in) and put it in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes, until it's warmed through. You can use an instant read thermometer (affiliate link) to make sure it's done (165 degrees F/75 degrees C)
My Amazon Recommendations (affiliate links)

Nutrition Facts
📋 Healthy Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 301 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 35mg12%
Sodium 701mg30%
Potassium 660mg19%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 540IU11%
Vitamin C 16mg19%
Calcium 181mg18%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 701mg | Potassium: 660mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 3mg