Growing up, my mom made something that we just called “casserole” because it was the only casserole we ever had in our house. I LOVED it. (Still do.) It was made up of pasta shells, cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, tomato sauce, ground beef, and sometimes some green onion if she was feeling fancy. I saw this and immediately thought of that beloved casserole — it has a lot of the same delicious stuff going on. My mom’s casserole is one that makes some people raise an eyebrow… Cottage cheese with pasta and red sauce? This Sour Cream Beef Noodle Casserole might raise the same concerns. But not for me! I know enough to know that this combo is just comfort food through and through.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (15 oz each) cans tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 8 oz egg noodles
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and onion until beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in tomato sauce and Italian seasoning and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
- While you’re making the sauce, cook egg noodles according to package directions in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream and cottage cheese. Add egg noodles and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
- Transfer half of the egg noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the meat sauce. Top with remaining egg noodle mixture, followed by remaining meat sauce.
- Top with cheese and bake until sauce is bubbly and cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.
- Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!