Description
This hearty and creamy Sour Cream Noodle Bake combines tender egg noodles with a savory ground beef and marinara sauce mixture, layered with cottage cheese, sour cream, and a blend of shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Baked to perfection, this comforting casserole is perfect for a family dinner, delivering rich flavors and a satisfying texture in just 50 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 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 (RAO’s brand recommended)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (divided)
Dairy 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 and prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Boil noodles. Bring water to a low boil in a 5 to 6 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the egg noodles and cook them al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop further cooking and set aside.
- Cook ground beef mixture. While the noodles cook, 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 ground beef is fully browned and no longer pink.
- Drain excess fat. Drain off any excess oil from the cooked ground beef to reduce greasiness, then return the beef and onions to the skillet and reduce heat to medium.
- Add marinara sauce and season. Stir the marinara sauce, along with half of the kosher salt and black pepper (½ teaspoon each), into the ground beef mixture. Cook just until the sauce starts to simmer, then remove from heat.
- Prepare the creamy mixture. In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, and the remaining half of kosher salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly to blend all ingredients together.
- Combine noodles with creamy mixture. Add the cooked and cooled egg noodles to the creamy mixture. Stir until noodles are evenly coated with the sour cream and cottage cheese mixture.
- Layer the casserole. Spread half of the sour cream noodle mixture evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spoon half of the ground beef mixture over the noodles, then sprinkle with 2 cups of the shredded cheese.
- Repeat layers. Add the remaining sour cream noodle mixture, followed by the remaining ground beef mixture. Top the casserole with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese evenly distributed on top.
- Bake and serve. Bake the layered casserole uncovered for 30 minutes at 350°F, until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly hot. Serve immediately for best taste.
Notes
- Use wide egg noodles to ensure the texture holds well in the bake.
- Draining the excess fat from the cooked beef keeps the casserole from becoming greasy.
- Rinsing the noodles with cold water stops the cooking process and prevents mushiness.
- Feel free to substitute marinara sauce with your favorite tomato sauce brand.
- Shredded cheese blend of mild cheddar and Monterey Jack provides a balanced creamy and meltable topping.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven for best texture.
