Description
Creamy beef noodle casserole delivers comfort on a plate with rich, cheesy layers of tender pasta and seasoned ground beef. Hearty ingredients blend perfectly, promising a satisfying meal families will eagerly devour when gathering around the dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef
- 12 oz (340 g) egg noodles
- 15 oz (425 g) tomato sauce
- 8 oz (227 g) shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) small curd cottage cheese
- ¾ cup (180 ml) sour cream
- 1 small sweet onion, small diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Ignite the oven to 350°F and thoroughly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray for seamless release.
- Meat Transformation: In a capacious skillet over medium-high heat, metamorphose ground beef with diced onions, fragmenting the protein while caramelizing the vegetables until fully browned and tender, roughly 8-10 minutes.
- Flavor Infusion: Introduce minced garlic to the skillet, stirring momentarily to unleash its aromatic potential and enhance the foundational flavor profile.
- Sauce Development: Integrate tomato sauce and essential seasonings, allowing the mixture to gently simmer and develop complex flavors through intermittent stirring for approximately 15 minutes.
- Noodle Preparation and Dairy Fusion: Concurrently cook egg noodles per package instructions, then enrobe them in a velvety mixture of cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, ensuring comprehensive and luxurious coating.
- Layered Assembly: Strategically construct the casserole by spreading a foundational layer of noodles, cascading with meat sauce, and generously dispersing shredded cheese; repeat the layering process to build depth and complexity.
- Culinary Transformation: Slide the assembled dish into the preheated oven, allowing the ingredients to meld and the cheese to transform into a golden, bubbling masterpiece for 20 minutes.
- Serving Finale: Retrieve the aromatic casserole and present immediately, capturing its peak temperature and textural harmony.
Notes
- Meat Browning Tip: Ensure ground beef is thoroughly browned and crumbled for even texture and maximum flavor development.
- Noodle Cooking Alert: Slightly undercook egg noodles during boiling, as they’ll continue cooking in the oven to prevent mushy texture.
- Cheese Melting Strategy: Use freshly shredded cheese for superior melting and more vibrant flavor compared to pre-packaged varieties.
- Dairy Blend Trick: Whisk cottage cheese and sour cream until completely smooth to create a creamy, lump-free sauce that coats noodles evenly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg