Description
This comforting Sour Cream Noodle Bake combines tender egg noodles with a savory ground beef and marinara sauce mixture, layered with creamy cottage cheese and sour cream, then topped with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. Baked until bubbly and golden, this casserole is perfect for a hearty family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles
Ground Beef Mixture
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 24 ounce jar of Marinara Sauce (RAO’s brand suggested)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (divided in half)
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (divided in half)
Sour Cream 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 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, 1½ cups 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 baking.
- Cook Noodles: Bring water to a low boil in a 5 to 6 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the egg noodles and cook until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Cook Ground Beef Mixture: While noodles cook, heat a 10 to 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, chopped onion, and minced garlic. Stir frequently until the beef is no longer pink.
- Drain Fat: Drain any excess oil from the beef mixture to reduce greasiness.
- Simmer Sauce: Return beef mixture to skillet, reduce heat to medium, then stir in marinara sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook just until the mixture simmers, then remove from heat.
- Prepare Sour Cream Mixture: In a medium mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, and the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper. Stir to blend completely.
- Combine Noodles: Add cooked and cooled egg noodles to the sour cream mixture. Stir gently until noodles are evenly coated.
- Layer in Baking Dish: Spread half of the sour cream and noodles mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Add Ground Beef Layer: Spoon half of the ground beef mixture evenly over the sour cream noodle layer.
- Cheese Layer: Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheese evenly over the ground beef layer.
- Repeat Layers: Repeat with the remaining sour cream noodle mixture, then the remaining ground beef mixture, and finally top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot.
Notes
- Using lean ground beef helps reduce excess grease in the casserole.
- Rinsing noodles after cooking stops them from overcooking and prevents mushiness.
- You can substitute the marinara sauce with your preferred tomato-based pasta sauce.
- For an extra crispy cheese topping, broil the casserole for 2-3 minutes at the end of baking, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.
