Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Beefy Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Creamy noodles and savory beef tomato sauce sit in soft layers beneath melted cheddar. Sour cream gives the pasta a gentle tang, while cottage cheese adds richness to the filling. Each warm scoop has a little cheese between the noodles and beef.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Noodles
A few quick notes
1. Drain the beef
Brown the ground beef evenly and drain excess fat before seasoning and adding the tomato sauce.
2. Coat noodles separately
Mix sour cream and cottage cheese first, then stir in the drained noodles before layering them with beef.
3. Repeat the layers
Build two layers of noodles, beef sauce and cheddar, finishing with cheese on the top.
Get to know the ingredients
Egg noodles
Cook the egg noodles to al dente, then drain before coating them in the creamy cheese mixture.
Cottage cheese
Small curd cottage cheese mixes with sour cream to coat the noodles before the casserole is layered.
Cheddar
Divide the sharp cheddar between both layers, leaving a cheese finish over the top layer of beef.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 8 steps completeMake room for Beefy Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Rest after baking
Bake uncovered until hot with bubbling melted cheese, then let the casserole rest a few minutes before serving.
A little more help as you go
Simmer the beef sauce
Let the seasoned beef and tomato sauce simmer gently for ten minutes, stirring occasionally before removing from heat.
Grease before layering
Spray the baking dish before adding the first half of the creamy noodle mixture and beef sauce.
A few questions you might have
Are the noodles mixed into the beef sauce?
Coat them with sour cream and cottage cheese separately, then layer them with the beef sauce in the dish.
How many layers are made?
Use half the noodles, beef and cheddar first, then repeat the layers and finish with cheese.
Does the casserole bake covered?
Bake uncovered for about twenty minutes until heated through with the cheese melted and bubbling.
Should I drain the ground beef?
Yes. Drain excess fat after browning before adding the seasonings and tomato sauce for the simmer.
When can I serve the casserole?
Let it rest for a few minutes after removing it from the oven before spooning out the layers.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: therecipecritic.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
