Description
Sour Cream Noodle Bake is a comforting casserole featuring tender egg noodles mixed with a creamy blend of cottage cheese and sour cream, layered with a savory ground beef tomato sauce, and topped with melted Colby Jack cheese. This easy-to-make dish combines cheesy, tangy, and hearty flavors perfect for a satisfying family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Mixture
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small sweet onion, small diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Noodle Mixture
- 12 ounces egg noodles
- 1 ½ cups small curd cottage cheese
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 8 ounces shredded Colby Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook Beef and Onion: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and onion, breaking up the beef into crumbles. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is softened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Simmer Sauce: Add the tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook Noodles: While the sauce simmers, cook the egg noodles according to package instructions until tender. Drain and set aside.
- Mix Noodle Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir until well combined. Add the cooked noodles and gently toss until noodles are evenly coated.
- Assemble Layers: Spread half of the noodle mixture into the prepared baking dish. Layer half of the meat sauce over the noodles, then sprinkle half of the shredded Colby Jack cheese on top. Repeat layers with remaining noodles, sauce, and cheese.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- Try substituting mozzarella, cheddar, swiss, gruyere, or pepper jack cheese for different flavor profiles.
- Ground sausage, chicken, turkey, or pork can be used instead of ground beef.
- For an Italian twist, use your favorite canned pasta sauce instead of tomato sauce; reduce added salt accordingly.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- If cottage cheese isn’t available or preferred, ricotta cheese is a good substitute though it results in a less creamy texture.
- Refer to FAQs and ingredient list for additional substitutions and tips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
