This girl hates spaghetti. I know. So weird. So, I rarely crave a red sauce meal — except THE Lasagna and this one. With a small ingredient list, you can mix this together quickly and make a big ol’ pan of cheesy goodness for your family or friends.

Ultimate Cheesy Pasta Bake is a go-to, easy meal at our house! Meat and pasta meet prepared red sauce, mozzarella, and seasonings and with a quick mix and bake you have gooey, cheesy yum;  it’s just kinda perfect. Because I can make it quickly, it’s easily adjustable to be vegetarian, and it doubles well for a crowd, I usually make two batches at a time and keep one in the freezer as a perfect meal for guests.

Begin by browning a pound of ground beef or sausage or a mix of the two with one small chopped onion in a large pan; drain the grease.

Prepare your choice of pasta (1 lb.) in salted water according to package directions; drain the water. Do not rinse.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Into the hot pan, mix 1–28 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce,

1 tsp. pepper, and

1 tsp. Italian seasoning, and 4 oz. cream cheese to the meat.

In a 9 x 13″ baking dish, layer the hot pasta, 2 c. of freshly grated mozzarella, and then pour the sauce over the top, and stir the whole thing together.  Sprinkle with one more cup of shredded mozzarella.

Bake for 40 minutes or until heated through.  Serve with Cheesy, Easy Garlic Bread and a salad for a mouth-watering, easy meal.