Description
A comforting and cheesy Sour Cream Noodle Bake combining tender egg noodles with a savory ground beef tomato sauce, creamy cottage cheese, and sour cream mixture, all topped with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. This hearty casserole is perfect for family dinners and easy to prepare in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
Noodles
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 24 ounce jar of Marinara Sauce (I used RAO’s brand)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (divided in half)
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (divided in half)
Creamy Mixture
- 1¼ cup 4% small curd cottage cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- â…“ cup thinly sliced green onions
Cheese Topping
- 3 cups shredded cheese (1½ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese, 1½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to prepare for assembling the casserole.
- Cook Noodles: Bring a large 5 to 6 quart saucepan of water to a low boil over medium high heat. Add the egg noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and set aside.
- Cook Ground Beef Mixture: Heat a 10 to 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef, chopped onion, and minced garlic. Cook, stirring often until the beef is no longer pink. Drain excess oil.
- Simmer Sauce: Return the drained beef mixture to the skillet over medium heat, stir in the marinara sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat just until simmering, then remove from heat.
- Prepare Creamy Noodle Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir well to combine. Add the cooked and cooled noodles and stir until noodles are evenly coated.
- Assemble Casserole Layers: Spread half of the sour cream and noodle mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Spoon half of the ground beef mixture on top of the noodles. Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheese evenly over the beef layer.
- Repeat Layers: Repeat with the remaining sour cream noodle mixture and ground beef mixture. Top the casserole with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese.
- Bake: Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the casserole is heated through. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use wide egg noodles for the best texture; avoid thinner pasta types.
- Rinsing noodles after cooking stops them from overcooking in the casserole.
- Draining excess fat from the beef improves the flavor and reduces greasiness.
- You can substitute marinara sauce with homemade tomato sauce if preferred.
- Let the casserole rest a few minutes after baking before serving to set.
- For a lower-fat version, use reduced-fat sour cream and cottage cheese.
