Hungarian Noodle Bake is a creamy egg noodle side dish: a full pound of noodles stirred into cottage cheese, sour cream and cream of mushroom soup, seasoned with poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and a little hot sauce, then topped with parmesan and baked under foil. It takes about 10 minutes to put together, bakes in 40 to 50 minutes, and serves 8.
How to make it: Cook the egg noodles just to al dente. In a large bowl, whisk the soup, chicken broth, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce and spices until smooth, then stir in the cottage cheese, sour cream and noodles. Spread it in a greased 9×13-inch dish, sprinkle parmesan and more poppy seeds on top, cover with foil and bake at 350°F until the center reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- One bowl, one dish: everything is mixed in a single bowl and baked in one 9×13-inch pan.
- Pantry seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and Worcestershire sauce do the work, with no chopping.
- A side for a crowd: a pound of noodles fills the pan, so it’s easy to carry to a potluck.
- Make it ahead: mix it early, keep it in the refrigerator and bake it later.
Ingredient Notes
Egg noodles: one 16-ounce package, cooked and drained. Fine egg noodles work well here and give a nice volume for a crowd.
Cream of mushroom soup and chicken broth: one 10.5-ounce can of soup and 1/2 cup of broth make the base of the sauce.
Cottage cheese and sour cream: one 8-ounce tub of cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups of sour cream. Small curd cottage cheese is a good choice.
Poppy seeds: 2 1/2 tablespoons go into the sauce, and a little more goes on top before baking.
Worcestershire sauce: 2 tablespoons.
Onion powder, garlic powder and paprika: 1 1/2 teaspoons, 1 teaspoon and 1/2 teaspoon.
Hot sauce: anywhere from 1 to 3 teaspoons. Start with 1 if you’re feeding kids.
Parmesan cheese: 1/2 cup, shredded, for the top.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces egg noodles, cooked and drained
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce, to taste
- 1 tub (8 ounces) cottage cheese
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Extra poppy seeds, for sprinkling on top
How to Make Hungarian Noodle Bake
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Cook the noodles. Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions, stopping at al dente because they cook again in the oven. Drain and set aside.
3. Mix the sauce. In a large bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and hot sauce until smooth.
4. Add the noodles. Add the cottage cheese, sour cream and cooked noodles to the bowl and mix until well combined.
5. Fill the dish. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and the extra poppy seeds over the top.
6. Bake covered. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer. For a crisper top, take the foil off for the last few minutes.
How to Keep the Noodles Tender
The biggest risk with any noodle bake is soft, mushy noodles. A few habits prevent it:
- Stop at al dente. The noodles keep cooking in the sauce while the dish bakes. Fine egg noodles cook very fast, so check them early.
- Stop the cooking. If your noodles are done before the sauce is mixed, drain them and run cold water over them so they don’t keep softening in the colander.
- Bake it covered. Foil keeps the sauce creamy while the center heats through.
- Uncover at the end. Take the foil off for the last few minutes if you want a crisper, golden top.
- Check the center. A food thermometer in the middle of the dish should read 165°F.
Is There Meat in It?
No. This bake is a meatless noodle side dish, and it’s meant to sit next to a main course. None of the popular versions add meat. If you want a full meal in one pan, serve it with one of the mains below instead of stirring meat into the noodles.
Variations
- Cream of chicken soup: use it in place of cream of mushroom soup.
- Fresh onion and garlic, no soup: a simpler take skips the soup and broth, cooks a little chopped onion and garlic in butter, and mixes them with the noodles, cottage cheese, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and poppy seeds, with sweet paprika sprinkled on top.
- Paprika on top: dust the top with mild paprika before baking, instead of or along with the parmesan.
- Milder or hotter: use 1 teaspoon of hot sauce for a mild dish, or go up to 3.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: Mix the noodles and sauce, spread them in the dish, cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. A cold dish takes longer in the oven, so go by the thermometer: bake until the center reaches 165°F.
Leftovers: Refrigerate them within 2 hours in shallow covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat covered, in the oven or the microwave, until it reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
Freezing: Not recommended. Sour cream and cream sauces tend to separate and look curdled after thawing. If you do freeze leftovers, thaw them in the refrigerator.
What to Serve With It
This creamy noodle side goes with roasts and saucy mains. Put it next to a slow cooker pot roast with gravy or a 4-ingredient Amish onion gravy pork roast. For chicken, try caramelized baked chicken legs or wings. It’s also good with Momma’s meatloaf or stuffed cabbage rolls. Add something green, like smothered green beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Hungarian noodle bake ahead?
Yes. Mix it, spread it in the dish, cover it and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. Bake until the center reaches 165°F; it will take longer than a freshly mixed dish.
What meat is best in a noodle bake like this one?
This recipe has no meat; it’s a side dish. Serve it with a pot roast, pork roast, meatloaf or baked chicken.
Why did my noodle bake turn mushy?
The noodles were probably cooked too long before baking. Cook them only to al dente, since they soften more in the oven.
Should I bake it covered or uncovered?
Covered with foil for 40 to 50 minutes, then uncovered for the last few minutes if you want a crisper top.
Can I use cream of chicken soup?
Yes. Cream of chicken soup works in place of cream of mushroom soup.
Final Notes
Keep this one for holiday dinners and potlucks, when you need a big pan of something creamy next to the main dish. If you make it, tell me in the comments what you served it with.
Hungarian Noodle Bake
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces egg noodles cooked and drained
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup 10.5 ounces
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce to taste
- 1 tub cottage cheese 8 ounces
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- poppy seeds extra, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions, stopping at al dente because they cook again in the oven. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and hot sauce until smooth.
- Add the cottage cheese, sour cream and cooked noodles to the bowl and mix until well combined.
- Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and the extra poppy seeds over the top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer. For a crisper top, take the foil off for the last few minutes.
