Get your best pots and pans out, y'all!! Cause this gluten free Creole-style baked million dollar spaghetti is a lengthy kitchen labor of love. Creole red gravy, baked in the oven to rich, restaurant-y deliciousness. Layered with a ricotta and cream cheese-covered gluten free pasta, and a perfectly seasoned, browned ground beef and Cajun trinity mixture. Topped with two more cheeses, and baked until all of the flavors combine into one of the most soooo-worth-it comfort food meals you've ever created in your home kitchen. Yep and yay...
After Wanting it Like Forever, I Finally Got Busy and Made it My Way...
Just like any other food blogger, I spend a lot of my time on social media. I ooh and aah over other blogger's dishes. And, I notice some that I just want sooo bad every time that they roll around my feed. It happened earlier this year with my Cajun spin on the popular melt in your mouth chicken dish.
So, I made it. And I loved it so much that I put it on our regular gluten free menu rotation. Well, I've been seeing baked million dollar spaghetti on Pinterest for like years now. And, I've always wanted to make it. If you aren't familiar with million dollar spaghetti, it's a baked dish that's layered with ground beef, pasta, tomato sauce, noodles and a cream cheese mixture that's usually made with cottage cheese. I've also seen it made with mozzarella cheese.
The point of million dollar spaghetti is self-indulgence, of course. Hence the name and the resulting layers of yum-deliciousness that make it feel so rich and ultra-comforting. I have no idea who came up with this dish. So, I have no idea who to thank. But, let me tell you, this person is a genius! And although this dish requires a little extra time in the kitchen, once you make it once you'll get into your own groove that trims the hands-on time down.
And, if you're like me, you'll make some to vacuum seal and freeze for a premeditated leftovers date. Yep. My gluten free Creole-style baked million dollar spaghetti lives up to its name. The perfectly cooked gluten free noodles soak up every ounce of the cream cheese, ricotta and sour cream mixture, adding a profound creamy backbite that you just don't come across every day.
The ground beef and Cajun trinity veggies tone down the high taste notes. And, the baked red gravy injects a signature level of sophistication into the dish that makes this version 'pop' right off your tongue and into your heart. Indeed.
How to Make Gluten Free Creole-Style Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti:
Start the gluten free Creole-style baked million dollar spaghetti by whipping up a batch of the best ever baked red gravy. However, do NOT add the Cajun trinity and garlic to the recipe, as they are used in other steps in this recipe:
Once you get that going, pour the chopped Cajun trinity veggies of onion, bell pepper and celery into your cast iron skillet:
Once they get to this stage, add the ground beef:
Season the ground beef liberally:
Cook until browned, then drain:
Next, place softened cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, garlic and paprika into a bowl. Stir until well-incorporated:
Now, boil the gluten free spaghetti noodles until about three-fourths of the time called for on the package. Drain well, then add the cream cheese mixture to the pot:
And give it a good stir:
Now, preheat the oven. And grease a deep 12-inch cast iron skillet liberally, cause it's time to get busy layering the Creole-style baked million dollar spaghetti. First, you lay a little bit of the Creole baked red gravy on the skillet:
Then, you top it with half of the cheesy noodles:
And then half of the browned meat/Cajun trinity veggies mixture:
Then half of the sauce on top:
And finally make another layer, then add the two remaining cheeses on top, and pop into the oven:
And yes, that's finally it, y'all!!
I know that this gluten free Creole-style baked million dollar spaghetti is a rather lengthy process. But, the melt-in-your-mouth comfort food payoff is sooo worth it! The baked New Orleans-style red gravy makes the skillet casserole taste like it just came out of a super expensive restaurant's oven.
And, the cheesy noodles with hints of sour cream boast a unique, almost zingy backbite that leaves you begging for more. The seasoned, browned ground beef and Cajun trinity/garlic mixture round out the dish, balancing it with a deep, earthy flavor that takes the whole thing over the tongue top. Yep.
Share this gluten free Creole-style baked million dollar spaghetti with those whose love for you is a multi-layered masterpiece in the making. And see y'all on the yum side...
Creole-Style Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti {Gluten Free}
Ingredients
- 1 batch Best Ever Baked Red Gravy Recipe Don't use the trinity or the garlic, see post
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 12 ounces gluten free spaghetti noodles
For the Cream Cheese Mixture
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- 4 ounces sour cream
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- sprinkling of cayenne pepper
For the Cheesy Topping
- 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
- 5 ounces shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Instructions
- Make the Best Ever Baked Red Gravy (see notes above). Let come down to room temperature in oven when ready.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Brown the onion, bell pepper and celery in a pan.
- When almost browned, add the ground beef. Break up the ground beef, then season with the garlic powder, onion, powder, and paprika.
- When ground beef and veggies are browned, drain the oil, then return to the pan.
- While the beef and veggies are browning, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Boil the gluten free spaghetti noodles until about ¾ of the time called for on the package.
- Drain and set aside.
- Place the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, sour cream, garlic and paprika in a bowl, and stir until well-incorporated.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the noodles, then stir until well-combined.
- Grease a deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven liberally. Pour a small amount of the baked red gravy into the bottom of the skillet.
- Top with half of the cheesy noodle mixture.
- Then, add half of the ground beef/veggie mixture to the top of the noodles.
- Pour half of the red gravy over the beef and veggies.
- Make another layer of noodles, beef/veggies and red gravy.
- Top with the shredded Cheddar and pepper jack cheese.
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the gluten free million dollar spaghetti casserole is baked through, and the cheese is bubbly.
- Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, then freeze remainder.
The information shown is an estimate provided by a third-party, online computer-generated nutrition calculator, not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods and individual portion sizes, along with other factors.
See our full nutrition disclaimer here.
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