Description
Comfort meets convenience in this hearty sour cream noodle bake, blending savory ground beef with creamy layers of cheese and noodles. Midwestern home cooking shines through with each satisfying, cheesy forkful that brings warmth and nostalgia to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 1 pound ground beef
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Sauce and Seasoning:
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Noodles:
- 12 ounces egg noodles
Dairy Components:
- 1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces shredded Colby Jack cheese
Spices and Seasonings:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 350F (175C) and lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onions over medium-high heat, crumbling the meat and cooking until vegetables soften, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Introduce minced garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds to release aromatic flavors.
- Pour in tomato sauce, seasoning with salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring periodically.
- Simultaneously, prepare egg noodles according to package instructions, then drain thoroughly.
- Create a creamy base by blending cottage cheese, sour cream, and dry seasonings until smooth and uniform.
- Gently fold cooked noodles into the creamy mixture, ensuring complete and even coating.
- Construct the first layer in the baking dish: spread half the noodle mixture, followed by half the beef sauce and a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese.
- Replicate the layering process with remaining noodles, sauce, and cheese for a complete casserole.
- Bake for 20 minutes, ensuring the dish is heated through and cheese melts into a golden, bubbling topping.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately while warm and appetizing.
Notes
- Achieve the perfect beef texture by breaking it into small, uniform crumbles while cooking to ensure even distribution and better flavor absorption.
- Enhance the creamy mixture’s richness by using full-fat cottage cheese and sour cream, which provides a more luxurious mouthfeel and deeper taste profile.
- Consider swapping ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based meat alternatives for a lighter, healthier version that accommodates different dietary preferences.
- Prevent noodles from becoming mushy by slightly undercooking them during the initial boiling process, as they’ll continue cooking in the oven and absorb the creamy sauce.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 542 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg