Description
Sour Cream Noodle Bake is a comforting and hearty casserole featuring layers of tender egg noodles, savory ground beef in marinara sauce, and a creamy mixture of cottage cheese and sour cream, topped with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Perfect for a family dinner, this baked dish combines rich flavors and textures in one easy-to-make 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 (e.g., RAO’s brand)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, divided
Creamy Mixture
- 1¼ cup 4% small curd cottage cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- â…“ cup thinly sliced green onions
Topping
- 3 cups shredded cheese (1 ½ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese, 1 ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cook Egg Noodles: Bring water to a low boil in a 5 to 6 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the wide egg noodles and cook until al dente. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.
- Cook Ground Beef: Heat a 10 to 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lean ground beef, chopped sweet yellow onion, and minced garlic. Stir frequently until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are softened.
- Drain Excess Fat: Carefully drain any excess oil or fat from the cooked ground beef and onion mixture.
- Simmer Sauce: Return the beef mixture to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Stir in the marinara sauce along with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. Cook just until the mixture starts to simmer, then remove from heat.
- Prepare Creamy Mixture: In a medium mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Stir until fully combined.
- Combine Noodles and Creamy Mixture: Add the cooked and cooled egg noodles to the creamy mixture and stir until the noodles are evenly coated.
- Assemble First Layer: Spread half of the sour cream noodle mixture evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Add Ground Beef Layer: Spoon half of the ground beef and marinara sauce mixture over the sour cream noodle layer in the baking dish.
- Cheese Layer: Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheese evenly over the ground beef layer.
- Repeat Layers: Repeat the layers in the same order: the remaining sour cream noodle mixture, followed by the remaining ground beef mixture, and finally top with the last 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake: Bake the assembled casserole uncovered in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the ground beef mixture is hot and simmering.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve immediately while hot for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Using a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses adds a wonderful creaminess and melt to this bake.
- Rinsing the noodles with cold water stops them from overcooking and helps prevent the bake from becoming mushy.
- For a richer flavor, use full-fat sour cream and cottage cheese, but lower-fat versions work well too.
- You can prepare this dish a day ahead and refrigerate it before baking, just increase baking time slightly if baking straight from the fridge.
- Feel free to add some chopped bell peppers or mushrooms in with the onions for extra veggies.
