Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces of dried spaghetti noodles
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 ½ pounds of sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
• 3 teaspoons of dried Italian seasoning, divided
• 48 ounces of spaghetti sauce (2 jars), divided
• 8 ounces of cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ cup of sour cream
• 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• ½ cup of butter, sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, drain well, and return the pasta to the original pot. Add 1 jar of spaghetti sauce to the cooked pasta and combine. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, and cook until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add the sweet Italian sausage and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning to the skillet, and cook until the sausage is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Stir in 1 jar of spaghetti sauce and set aside.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Set aside.
5. Place half of the sliced butter in a 9×13 baking dish. Spread half of the cooked spaghetti in the dish, followed by spreading the cheese mixture evenly over the spaghetti. Spread the remaining spaghetti over the cheese mixture, and top with the remaining butter slices. Pour the tomato meat sauce evenly over the top layer of spaghetti.
6. Sprinkle the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese over the casserole. Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly, approximately 35-45 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy this indulgent Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole!