Sour Cream Beef Noodle Casserole is tender egg noodles stirred into tangy sour cream, creamy cottage cheese and green onions, layered with a peppery ground beef tomato sauce and sharp cheddar, then baked until the cheese melts into the sauce. It is a hearty, no-fuss weeknight dinner, and one 9×13-inch dish serves 8.
How to make it: Brown the beef and simmer it in tomato sauce, stir the cooked noodles into sour cream, cottage cheese and green onions, then layer noodles, meat sauce and cheddar twice and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Why You’ll Love It
- Pantry basics: ground beef, a can of tomato sauce, a bag of egg noodles, sour cream, cottage cheese and cheddar.
- Creamy and tangy: every noodle is coated in the sour cream mixture, with a little bite from the green onions.
- A short bake: everything is cooked before it goes in, so the oven only has to heat it through and melt the cheese.
- Feeds a crowd: two layers of noodles, beef and cheese fill one big dish.
Ingredient Notes
Ground chuck: One and a quarter pounds. Any ground beef works here.
Tomato sauce: One 15-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper are all the seasoning it needs.
Cottage cheese: Small curd, such as a 4% milkfat one. It is soft and creamy and isn’t as sour as you might think.
Sour cream: Half a cup brings the tang.
Green onions: Half a cup, sliced. Use less if you like, or leave them out.
Sharp cheddar: One cup, grated. Half goes between the layers and half on top.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds ground chuck, or other ground beef
- 15 ounces tomato sauce (1 can)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/4 cups cottage cheese, small curd
- 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
How to Make Sour Cream Beef Noodle Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Brown the beef. Brown the ground chuck in a large skillet, breaking it up as it cooks, until it reaches 160°F. Drain the fat.
3. Simmer the sauce. Add the tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then let it simmer while you prepare the noodles.
4. Cook the noodles. Cook the egg noodles in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
5. Mix the creamy noodles. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream and cottage cheese with plenty of black pepper. Add the mixture to the noodles and stir, then stir in the green onions.
6. Layer. Spread half of the noodles in the baking dish. Top with half of the meat sauce, then sprinkle on half of the cheddar. Repeat with the rest of the noodles, meat sauce and cheddar.
7. Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the center reaches 165°F. Serve with crusty French bread.
How to Keep the Noodles from Going Soggy
The noodles cook twice: first in the pot, then again in the oven while the casserole bakes. So pull them at al dente, or even a little before. If the package says 9 to 12 minutes, cook them for 9 and let the oven finish the job.
Once they are drained, rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking, then toss them with a splash of olive oil so they don’t stick together while the sauce simmers. Let them cool a little before you stir in the sour cream mixture.
Watch the timing most closely when you plan on leftovers. Noodles cooked past al dente can turn too soft or soggy when you reheat the casserole.
The same care lets you build the dish ahead. Assemble it through the top layer of cheddar, cover it and refrigerate it. When you’re ready, bake it straight from the fridge and add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time, because it goes into the oven cold. Check the center the same way as in the bake step before you serve it.
Tips for Success
Why is my casserole greasy?
The fat from the beef wasn’t drained well enough. Pour it off after browning and before the tomato sauce goes in. With extra lean ground beef, there is less grease to drain in the first place.
Can I cut it as soon as it comes out of the oven?
Give it 10 minutes to cool before you serve it.
Variations
- Onion and garlic: brown 1/2 chopped yellow onion with the beef for about 10 minutes, then add 2 minced garlic cloves for 1 minute more. Onion and garlic powder work too; start with 1/2 teaspoon and build up from there.
- Italian-seasoned sauce: use 2 cans (15 ounces each) of tomato sauce with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and simmer it for 5 minutes.
- Smoky, chunky sauce: add a drained 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika and red pepper flakes to taste, and simmer until it thickens. The smoked paprika gives the meat a rustic, smoky flavor, and the Worcestershire balances the tartness of the tomatoes.
- Parmesan noodles: stir 1/2 cup Parmesan into the sour cream and cottage cheese before the noodles go in.
- More kick: add jalapeños or cayenne pepper to the sauce, or throw in some bacon bits for more flavor.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat portions covered, in the oven or microwave, until they reach 165°F; don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker. The casserole can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator, or reheat it from frozen, which takes about one and a half times as long. FSIS lists cream sauces and mayonnaise among foods that don’t freeze well, so keep that in mind for the creamy noodle layer.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with crusty French bread and a side salad or a vegetable, with a little chopped fresh parsley on top of the casserole. A spinach salad with warm bacon dressing or a dish of smothered green beans rounds out the plate. If you like this bake, try beef Lombardi casserole, which pairs sour cream noodles with a tomato and green chile sauce under three cheeses, or million dollar spaghetti casserole with its cream cheese layer. For more beef and egg noodles, there is ground beef stroganoff on the stovetop and a hands-off slow cooker Amish ground beef noodle casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use cream cheese or ricotta instead of cottage cheese?
Yes. If you’re not a fan of cottage cheese, ricotta or cream cheese can take its place. Stir it into the sour cream before the noodles go in, just as you would the cottage cheese.
Do I have to layer the noodles and beef?
No. For easier assembly, mix the creamy noodles and the meat sauce together in the dish and bake it that way. You can also layer noodles, sauce, noodles and sauce, and put all of the cheddar on top.
What kind of noodles can I use?
Wide egg noodles are the classic choice. Regular egg noodles work, and so does pasta like elbow macaroni or shells.
What cheese can I use instead of cheddar?
Extra sharp or mild cheddar, triple cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, Pepper Jack or a Cheddar Jack blend all work on top and between the layers.
Final Notes
Be generous with the black pepper in both the sauce and the sour cream mixture, since it is the main seasoning besides the salt. If you have a question or make this casserole, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Sour Cream Beef Noodle Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds ground chuck or other ground beef
- 15 ounces tomato sauce 1 can
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/4 cups cottage cheese small curd
- 1/2 cup green onions sliced; use less to taste
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Brown the ground chuck in a large skillet, breaking it up as it cooks, until it reaches 160°F. Drain the fat.
- Add the tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then let it simmer while you prepare the noodles.
- Cook the egg noodles in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream and cottage cheese with plenty of black pepper. Add the mixture to the noodles and stir, then stir in the green onions.
- Spread half of the noodles in the baking dish. Top with half of the meat sauce, then sprinkle on half of the cheddar. Repeat with the rest of the noodles, meat sauce and cheddar.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the center reaches 165°F. Serve with crusty French bread.
