Million Dollar Spaghetti

• Ingredients
• 1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti noodles
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 cup butter, sliced
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c chopped mushrooms, sautéd (optional)

• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
3. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until "al dente" (cooked through but firm to the bite), about 12 minutes. Drain.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes, drain and discard grease.
6. Place to a bowl and mix spaghetti sauce into ground beef.
7. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese until well blended.
8. Place half the slices of butter into the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
9. Spread half the spaghetti into the dish. Top spaghetti with creamy mixture.
10. Layer remaining spaghetti over creamy mixture.
11. Pour ground beef mixture over spaghetti and spread to cover casserole.
12. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
13. Spread Cheddar cheese over pasta and continue baking until cheese has melted and is lightly browned, about 15 more minutes.

We also add about 1/2c of chopped mushrooms that have been sautéd to the meat & sauce mixture.

*NOTES: Original recipe calls for an additional 1/4c butter slices layers on top of the second layer of noodles before pouring on the ground beef mixture.