Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese

8 oz. uncooked spaghetti
1 lb. ground beef
1 large (26.5 oz.) can spaghetti sauce
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
8 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbsp. milk
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (we topped it with Italian 6 cheese blend instead)
1 small can French Fried Onions

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Brown ground beef; drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to beef and heat. Combine onions, peppers, and butter in a small bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft. Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well. (If cream cheese is not soft, microwave for 20-30 seconds to make it easy to spread.) Using a 9 x 13" casserole dish, assemble in the following order: 1) Thin layer of spaghetti sauce on bottom of casserole dish 2) Spaghetti 3) Cream cheese/ vegetable mixture 4) Spaghetti sauce 5) Parmesan cheese-amount subject to your own taste 6) French Fried Onions (add during the last 5 minutes of baking). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried Onions and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Make sure to not let them burn.

I found this recipe on pinterest, which led me to salad-in-a-jar.com. It just looked so amazing in the picture. So, for my birthday, Vann said that he wanted to make me something for dinner, and this is what I finally decided on. I am so glad that I did! It is amazing! Even better, the leftovers are incredible! Which, in our house, it is a MUST that leftovers are just as good as the meal, if not better, in order for a recipe to stay in constant rotation. I got that from my sister, Christy, and it has been a great rule-of-thumb. A night in the refrigerator (like all pasta dishes) allows for everything to mingle, and it is glorious. The meat-to-pasta ratio was perfect for us, as we love a good sturdy and hearty sauce, not too runny. Once you let it cool for a few minutes, it can been served like lasagna. With a salad and garlic bread, it makes for an outstanding meal. Definitely give it a try! Should you prefer a healthier version, I imagine that it would be great with whole wheat pasta (add a chicken bouillon cube to your water while the pasta cooks, and it makes a huge difference), ground turkey, and low-fat cream cheese. I don't think there is any way this meal could disappoint!