Southern Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 2 lb ground beef, 85 percent lean
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 oz
• 1 can tomato sauce, 15 oz
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Before you cook

• Dice the onion and bell pepper and mince the garlic.
• Let the cream cheese soften.
• Shred the cheddar.
• Grease a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Steps

1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat for 9 minutes, breaking it into crumbles.
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
3. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 7 minutes, until soft.
4. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce.
6. Stir in the sugar, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
7. Simmer the sauce uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens.
8. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti 2 minutes short of the package time.
10. Drain the spaghetti and toss it with the melted butter so the strands stay loose.
11. Beat the sour cream and softened cream cheese together in a small bowl until smooth.
12. Spread half the buttered spaghetti in the greased dish.
13. Dollop the sour cream mixture over the spaghetti and spread it thin.
14. Scatter 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar over that layer.
15. Add the remaining spaghetti in an even layer.
16. Pour the meat sauce over the top and spread it to the corners.
17. Scatter the remaining 2 1/2 cups cheddar over the sauce.
18. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
19. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more, until the cheese is browned in spots.
20. Rest the dish for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.