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Creamy Beef Noodle Bake is a well-loved family approved dinner recipe that’s easy to make with inexpensive ingredients. A layered casserole recipe with cheesy egg noodles, seasoned ground beef, and shredded cheese. Family favorite comfort food at it’s best!
If your family loves casserole recipes with noodles then be sure and try my fiesta chicken casserole, easy ziti pasta bake, and this baked spaghetti casserole.
Creamy Beef Noodle Bake Recipe
This creamy beef noodle bake is my go-to dinner! A dinner that I can count on to feed the entire family and something that no one will whine about having to eat.
Simple ingredients like ground beef, egg noodles, tomato sauce, cottage cheese, sour cream, shredded cheese, and some seasonings. It’s really the best classic comfort food.
Plus this recipe can easily be customized to what you prefer. Need ideas? Just read below for all my tips for success and variation ideas!
What You’ll Need To Make It
This creamy beef noodle bake is seriously so yummy. Only a few easy, inexpensive ingredients is all it takes.
- Ground Beef : I prefer the 93/7 lean ground beef but any can be used. You will drain the excess grease anyways so it does not matter if you want to use a higher fat ground beef.
- Tomato Sauce
- Salt & Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Egg Noodles
- Sour Cream : It’s best to use full-fat sour cream for the best flavor but of course the reduced-fat sour cream works as well.
- Cottage Cheese : Again, I prefer to use 4% milk fat cottage cheese because it tastes the best in this recipe.
- Shredded Cheese : I recommend using shredded cheddar cheese (mild or medium) or shredded Colby Jack cheese.
How To Make Ground Beef Noodle Bake
You will need a few different dishes to prepare this casserole and of course one casserole dish as well.
- Preparation : Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Ground Beef : Cook & crumble the ground beef in a skillet pan, over medium hight heat, until it’s no longer pink. Drain.
- Seasoned Beef : Add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and onion powder into the ground beef and stir. Bring it to a low boil and then reduce heat to medium and let it simmer while the egg noodles cook.
- Egg Noodles : Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles when done.
- Cheesy Noodles : While the noodles are cooking, combine sour cream and cottage cheese inside a bowl. Add the cooked and drained egg noodles and stir to coat.
- Casserole : Pour half the noodle mixture into the baking dish, top with half the ground beef and half the shredded cheese. Repeat once more.
- Bake : Cover the casserole with tin foil, if wanted, and bake for 20 minutes.
Tips For Success
Here are a few of my tips so that you can have success with this recipe in your own kitchen.
- Mild Casserole – This recipe, for some reason, has gotten very mixed reviews and I am not sure why! It’s a mild casserole that kids will love but it’s also very adaptable to whatever you want. If you follow my recommendation and use full-fat dairy products and salt the egg noodles while cooking, this casserole will always turn out so deliciously simple.
- Foil – My kids don’t like casseroles with the crunchy edges and crunchy noodle edges on top. I always cover the casserole with tin foil while baking.
- Salt Egg Noodles – Don’t forget to salt the boiling water when you add the egg noodles. I use about 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt. You need at least 1 teaspoon for best flavor.
- Dairy Products – For the best taste, hands down, use full-fat diary products for the sour cream and cottage cheese. It makes a huge difference in the final taste of the dish.
- Cheese – I prefer cheddar cheese or Colby Jack cheese but any variety can be used. For best results shred the cheese from a block, rather than buying pre-shredded cheese, as it tastes better and melts better into the casserole.
Variation & Substitution Ideas
There are so many ways to change up this recipe. My family loves the recipe as is, which is how I always make it, but there are plenty of ways to make it different.
- Fresh Onion & Garlic : A lot of people who have made this have added a finely diced onion + fresh garlic in with the ground beef while it’s cooking. Add the garlic at the end so that it does not burn.
- Seasonings : This recipe calls for salt, pepper, and onion powder but you can add anything you want! Increase the onion powder, add garlic powder, dried basil, Italian seasoning, and seasoned salt are all the more popular ways people have changed this recipe up.
- Green Onion : For a yummy bite add some chopped green onions in with the cheesy noodle mixture. It adds some color and nice flavor.
- Tomato Sauce : Use a flavored tomato sauce instead of plain tomato sauce.
- Ground Meat : Use ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground pork in place of the ground beef. If you use a leaner ground meat, like turkey or chicken, you will want to add some olive oil to the pan to help it cook with some fat.
Creamy Beef Noodle Bake FAQ’s
Here are the most frequently asked questions that I get about this recipe.
- How Long Will Leftovers Keep?
- Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The egg noodles do get softer but that does not seem to be a big deal. I store leftovers inside the casserole dish and cover it tightly with tin foil. You can also remove leftovers to an air-tight container, like Tupperware, and store that way.
- Can I Freeze Creamy Beef Noodle Bake?
- Yes you can freeze this. I have never personally frozen this but I have gotten feedback from others that say it freezes just fine. I don’t like freezing anything with dairy in it (cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese) as it tends to separate and look curdled once thawed, but if you don’t mind it then go ahead and freeze it in a freezer-safe container that has been double wrapped in plastic wrap and then doubled wrapped again in tin foil.
- Casserole will freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight and cook according to directions.
- Do I Rinse The Egg Noodles?
- No do not rinse the egg noodles. Drain the noodles in a colander but do not rinse. We want all the cheesy good stuff to stick to the noodles so we need that little extra starch on them.
- I Don’t Like Cottage Cheese Can I Use Something Else?
- This is probably the #1 asked question about this recipe. I didn’t realize so many people do not like cottage cheese. I’ll be honest and say that if you want the best flavor then use cottage cheese. But if that’s just not possible you can try using additional sour cream or use ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese does not have the same flavor of rich texture and taste of cottage cheese, so the final taste of the casserole will be different.
Supplies Needed To Make This Recipe
Here are a few supplies that you will need to make cheesy ground beef noodle bake. These are an affiliate link, meaning that if you purchase, I will make a very small percentage from the sale. As always, I appreciate the support for the free recipes I post. I will only recommend things that I personally own and love! Promise.
9×13 Ceramic Baking Dish : I love this white ceramic casserole dish. If you see a casserole on my site then it was made in this! I prefer to make casseroles inside ceramic baking dishes.
Ground Meat Chopper : I own at least 3 of these and I don’t know how I would live without it. Use this to chop and crumble ground meats into small pieces.
Colander : I love this white plastic colander because it’s big, light, and easy to clean.
Mixing Spoons : I love these wooden mixing spoons. So pretty and I find myself reaching for them all the time.
Creamy Beef Noodle Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 package (12 oz) wide egg noodles
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 container (16 oz) cottage cheese (equals 2 cups)
- 2 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish and spray with cooking spray.
- Cook the ground beef in a skillet pan, over medium-high heat, until no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the tomato sauce, onion powder, salt, and pepper into the meat. Stir and let it simmer, over medium heat, while the egg noodles cook.
- Cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Don't forget to add at least 1 teaspoon of salt in with the noodles. * I usually add about 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
- In large mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream and cottage cheese.
- When noodles are done cooking, drain the noodles, but do not rinse. Add the noodles into the mixing bowl with the cottage cheese and stir to coat all the noodles.
- Pour half the egg noodle mixture into your prepared pan, top with half the ground beef mixture, and then half the shredded cheese. Repeat.
- Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes.* If you want those crunchy casserole edges and noodle edges then don't cover with tin foil.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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This recipe has been updated in November 2021 with new pictures and more helpful text. Recipe is the same as before.
“Thank you Jessica for all the lovely recipes.
You are very welcome! I am glad you are liking them 🙂
Delish!! I’m not a fan of tomato anything, so I cooked the meat with taco seasoning and a bit of beef broth, and instead of Colby I used a Mexican blend. It was a big hit with the whole family!
Can you substitute ricotta for the cottage cheese, no one but me in my house will eat cottage cheese
I’ve never thought of that one, but I don’t see any reason why it should not work. It would probably change the flavor profile a bit I would imagine. If it helps at all, you can’t taste the cottage cheese. It blends in real nicely with the hot noodles when you mix it together.
I hope that helps you. Thanks for stopping by!
You can’t taste the cottage cheese! So yummy!
Did you try it with the ricotta cheese?
I did….it was PERFECT!! My family loved it..they ate 3/4 of the pan, 2 helpings a piece! This is a KEEPER!!
So good to hear Dawn! Thanks for coming back and letting people know. I’ve had lots ask about ricotta so this is good info 🙂
Yeah… it’s so silky smooth with the ricotta cheese. I also sauteed some fresh sliced mushrooms and tossed it in the mix and it was superb!! 🙂
Did u change the type of shredded cheese you used?
Its a great casserole, BUT my son saw me mixing in the cottage cheese and sour cream. he decided he wouldn’t like and it and yep when it came out, he wouldn’t eat it. So I highly recommend for anyone with a visually picky eater maybe blend the cottage cheese so its more sauce like? Just a thought. It is super easy and yummy!
This looks so good, So easy which works so well for my family! Will be putting this on my menu!
I hear you on the easy dinners. This certainly is easy and all my kids will actually eat it without complaining 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting and for leaving a comment. Have a wonderful weekend, Alli!
Congrats to you! This awesome comforting dish got our attention and is being featured at this week’s Weekend Potluck party. *-* Please come back again soon. http://thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2015/06/easy-biscoff-cheesecake-pie-weekend.html
Thank you, thank you! I just came back from vacation all week and was thrilled to see this. Thanks so much. Love your link party. Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
I just made this up with my daughter and the house is smelling heavenly!!! Of course, I changed the recipe. I always do. Sigh. Just me. I really should try the recipe before I change it but portabella mushrooms were on sale and onions are always so good. Little fresh chopped garlic……. We are waiting for hubby to get home. We will add some fresh green beans and some hot baked bread and life is good
Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!!! Blessings to you!!!
oh good! This is our favorite. So simple but yet so delicious! I love the changes you made. So clever and creative. I don’t think my kids would touch this if I put mushrooms and onions in it 😉 But I would love it! Thanks so much for visiting and for coming back to leave your feedback. Have a great weekend Donna!
Thank you, and you too! My family loved the casserole. We have about half of it left and that means I have Sunday’s supper made. Add some veggies and hot bread and it’s a perfect ending to a nice weekend! I will be looking at more of your recipes! Thanks you!
Thanks Donna! That makes me happy to hear. I normally am not a fan of leftovers, but I look forward to eating the leftovers of this creamy beef noodle bake 🙂
You said that you sometimes refrigerate half for later in the week… Do you think I could freeze the other half?
Thanks!
Hi Reba! I have never tried freezing it, but I see no reason why it would not work. I am planning on making this soon so I will try freezing half and then coming back and updating the post.
I’m sure it would be just fine, I would just make sure it is thawed completely before cooking in the oven.
Thanks so much for visiting and commenting. Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
I’m a bit concerned about leaving the second 6 ” pan in the fridge for 5 days. I think it would be safer to put in the freezer till ready bto use.
You’re right, freezing would be much safer. If I keep the second pan in the fridge, I always cook it up for dinner within a day or two. Thanks so much for your comment Donna 🙂
I have frozen meals and I find it is best to prepare the meal and then freeze it before you cook it. Tastes like a fresh meal when you only cook it once. I think this meal should freeze well because my lasagna has similar ingredients and is great if I prepare it and freeze it before cooking. Then you just thaw it and cook it in the oven when your ready to eat it. The only thing I would suggest if you know you are going to freeze it- cook the noodles for about 3 min. Less time. The noodles will absorb water while they are frozen so if you freeze any meal with pasta- cook them a few min. Less then the directions so they won’t be too soggy.
Oh, wow! Thanks Anne. I’ve been wondering about freezing this…. ours never makes it that long to freeze it 🙂 Thanks so much for all the information and for leaving your comment. I know it will help a lot of readers, and me included. Thanks again.
can you use cream cheese instead of cottage cheese.
Hi Linda. You probably could. I would make sure it’s fairly softened though. I don’t know if it would bake up creamy like the cottagee cheese + sour cream mixture. It’s always worth a try 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting!
I used sausage in place of the beef, fresh spinach in the ricotta and spicy piccanti sauce for tomato’s. Also threw in corn and drained and rinsed black beans with the sausage
This looks and sounds amazing.
Thank you Kellie 🙂 This is our favorite and gets made very often. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting. Have a great weekend 🙂
i made this dish tonight and thought it was good but I felt it needed something as it was a little bland. Any suggestions?
Oh shoot! I’m sorry it turned out bland for you. I know some other readers have added chopped onion and chopped green bell pepper to the beef mixture (cook all of it together). That would probably give you much more flavor. My family loves it as written, but I know everyone has different tastes. Try adding the onion and bell pepper 🙂 Thanks so much for commenting and visiting!
I have made this many times with changes. I add chopped onions, garlic, and a can of petite diced tomatoes to the meat and tomato sauce and let it simmer about 1/2 hour. If I want a Tex-Mex flavor I add chili powder and cumin. If I want an Italian flavor I add basil and oregano. We really like this as well as the grand kids.
Hi Vicky! I love the changes you made. That’s one of the best things about this recipe, it’s so versatile. I really like the idea of the canned diced tomato along with the tomato sauce. Might try that one 🙂 Thanks so much for leaving your comment.
Also, I have made this before with the ‘light sour cream’ and the lower fat cottage cheese and we noticed a big difference in taste. I always use regular fat sour cream and the higher 4% fat cottage cheese. I know it’s more calories/fat, but we think it tastes better. That’s another option you could try too 🙂
You ought to try tasting the meat sauce before you assemble the baking dish to bake. Just so you can see if you need more salt, garlic powder, onion powder or even a little spice. Once you get it to your liking, then you’ll know that your end product will be tasty ?
This recipe was so yummy! Loved the creaminess that the cottage cheese gives. Definitely looks a lot heavier than it tastes. If that makes sense! Will continue making this! Also I doubled the meat and added chopped onions
So glad you loved it Van! The creamy cottage cheese is my favorite part too. And yes, the great thing about this recipe is that it is so versatile. Lots of readers have commented with all their additions and they all sound so yummy. Fresh onion and fresh garlic seem to be popular. I just don’t add those because I love the ease and convenience, and the no chopping of the recipe as is.
This looks & sounds amazing – making my mouth water! As a ‘seasoned’ cook, a person knows when there’s a good blend of ingredients . Am adding the ingredients to my grocery list for this week.
P.S…I’m with you on the NOT using ‘light’ products – I agree 100% that you need the ‘real deal’ to get the best flavor.
haha 🙂 Thanks. It really does make a huge difference in taste and final outcome of the dish.
Thank you so much Jeannie! You’re so sweet. I hope you love it as much as we do 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting and commenting.
I made this tonight for supper! Hubby loved it and went on and on about how good it was, my 22 month old had 2 helpings and he’s been on a no meat phase, and my 8 month old devoured it. I made it as directed, except added ½ an onion to the meat while cooking, 1 tbsp of pizza seasoning to the sauce mixture and use probably 3c of cheese. I did half and half cheddar and mozzarella. There are only 2 servings left of the whole recipe!!
Yay! I’m SO happy you all loved it. Don’t you love it when the kids eat dinner with no problems?! My kids devour this stuff too. I like your idea of more cheese, you can never have too much cheese 🙂 Thanks so much for coming back and commenting. Have a great weekend!
have you ever tried freezing the extra 8×8 pan when you divide into two pans?
Hi Michelle! I have not had a chance to freeze it yet. We always eat the second pan like the next night 🙂 I see no reason why you couldn’t freeze it. I would suggest double wrapping it in tin foil and thawing it completely once you’re ready to cook it in the oven. I hope that helps you. Thank you so much for visiting!
Is there any other cheese I can use in place of cottage cheese? thank you, Ann
Hi Ann! You could try ricotta cheese or cream cheese. I can’t vouch for what they would taste like, because I have only ever used the cottage cheese when I make this.
If you try cream cheese, I would make sure it’s softened first.
Also, once it bakes, you won’t even be able to tell there is any cottage cheese in there at all. It sort of melts into the noodles and turns into a creamy type sauce with the sour cream.
Let me know if you try it and if your substitutions worked out 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting and commenting!
Can this recipe be made up to just before baking and then frozen? I like the idea of being able to thaw it on the counter during a busy Winter day and then just pop it in the oven.
Hi Shonna! I have never done that but I do know that all the ingredients can be frozen with no problem. So, I see no reason why you could not freeze the casserole and let thaw before baking 🙂 I hope that helps. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Would this freeze well?
I have never tried freezing it, but I see no reason why it would not freeze well. Just make sure it is thawed before cooking 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and commenting 🙂
You could freeze this too!!!!
Yes you could. I have never done it because we end up eating it too fast 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight. I added fresh sautéed onions and garlic. A little Worcestershire sauce and sharp cheddar cheese. My husband loved it! I added some red pepper flakes to mine. I loved it! Thank you for the recipe!
Yay! I’m so happy you loved it! This is hands down, the dinner I make the most in my house. Worcestershire sauce sounds like a really good addition. I’ve never added the onion and garlic, but maybe I will try it. Thanks so much Barb for coming back to leave your comment 🙂
I made this by adding onion and green pepper to the beef mixture and added Italian seasoning to the tomato sauce. I also used ricotta cheese mixed with Italian seasoning instead of cottage cheese. It tastes AMAZING! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!
That’s wonderful the ricotta worked with this recipe. I have had many readers ask about using ricotta, so now I know 🙂 Thanks so much, Jacqueline, for coming back to leave your comment! And I love the idea of the Italian seasoning with this dish. Yum!
I was wondering,can you do this recipe in a skillet?
Hi Susan. I don’t think this recipe would work in a skillet. There is not enough liquid in the meat mixture to cook the egg noodle.
Is there something that i Can substitute the tomato paste for as I’m allergic to tomato’s?
Hi April. I honestly don’t know what you could use instead. I’m trying to think but the only thing I can think of would be a cream of mushroom soup?? You do need something to add to the beef mixture, otherwise I worry it would be way too dry. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.
I have made a very similar recipe for years with cream of mushroom or even cream of chicken soup. It is awesome!
Hi Debbie! That sounds yummy. I love those easy recipes 🙂
I made this tonight and it was really good. As I usually do with most recipes, I made a few changes. I did use fat free cottage cheese and sour cream and it worked great. I added minced garlic and a chopped big red onion (love onions) in with the meat while browning and some extra spices. I also used salt free tomato sauce. This recipe is a keeper, thanks!
Hi Sheri! Great changes. Your version is definitely much healthier 🙂 Thanks for coming back to leave your feedback.
this is truly delish AND easy and I mean easy………………..at 4:30 I had to run to store to get a couple of items needed and it was ready at a perfectly acceptable meal time for family. one thing I will change- I’m going to give the cottage cheese a couple of whirls in the blender. a couple of my kids have issue with white lumps in food but I’m certain if that had been addressed there would be NO issue b/c they still ate it (with comments).
thanks for sharing an honest recipe regarding ease and taste:)
Thank you so much Andrea! I love the idea of blending the cottage cheese. I had never thought of that. I love the creaminess the cottage cheese adds to this dish, so blending it would solve the problem for those that don’t like the texture. Thank you so much for coming back with your comment and input. I really appreciate it and I always love hearing from those who have tried recipes 🙂 This is a dish that I still make at least 1-2 times per month. We love it!
Hello Jessica, I would really love to try this recipe because it looks so good but I have one problem my husband & daughter are lactose intolerant so I was wondering if there’s anything that you would recommend that I can use to substitute the sour cream & cottage cheese. Thank you
Hi Nicole! I am not sure. My best idea would be to just not substitute it with anything and use the cooked noodle (skip the step where you add it to the cottage cheese/sour cream mix). It could be drier that way so I would maybe also add more tomato sauce. Hopefully that helps. Thanks for commenting 🙂
Hello Jessica, thank you for getting back to me I will definitely try that. Thank you 🙂
Lactose free sour cream, cream cheese and cottage cheese available at stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fresh Market, etc. or take 3 lactaid pills just before you sit down to eat. This dish is too good to pass up.
I made this last night. ( Halloween )… We called it Ghoul-losh lol
Due to the fact no one makes GF egg noodles I broke up GF lazagna noodles and cooked those. It was very good and it is like a mild cheesy lasagna. I reheats well also.. I had it for breakfast!! lol
I made it in a Corning deep casserole.
I love the name for Halloween! It’s perfect. That is a perfect way to describe this dish; mild cheesy lasagna. And a lot easier too 🙂 I agree with the reheating well. I don’t like many leftovers, but this is one leftover that I LOVE.
Have you ever done this recipe without the cottage cheese or can you suggest a replacement? The hubby cannot stand cottage cheese
Hi Jessica. I have not made this recipe without the cottage cheese. Some have substituted ricotta cheese, and one reader even blended up the cottage cheese. If it helps at all, your husband probably would not even be able to tell that there is cottage cheese in this. Once it cooks and melts into the noodles, it does not resemble cottage cheese much. You could also try cream cheese. Just make sure its really soft when you add the noodles to it. Hope that helps 🙂
Thank you!! I think I am just going to try it with the cottage cheese and see how that goes. Cannot wait to try this recipe.
Hi! I don’t have any sour cream… Can I substitute something in place or just omit it from the recipe and be ok?
Hi Nicole! I’ve never omitted it or substituted something in it’s place. Maybe add some more cottage cheese if you have it, 4 oz (1/2 a block) of cream cheese….. that is all I could think of. You also could just omit it. I *think* it would still turn out great.
Or you could use plain yogurt or plain greek yogurt if you have it. Hope those ideas help you 🙂
Thanks so much! Ive made this before and absolutely love it! But I should have looked at the recipe before I grocery shopped lol! I may try the cream cheese, I do have that. Also thanks for the tips on the yogurt too!
You’re very welcome. I always forget stuff on my list too. Luckily, we live like 2 minutes from a grocery store. I think they know me by name now….. 🙂
Greek yogurt works as a great sub for sour cream
I love that idea! Would save some calories too 🙂
I just made this! Can’t wait to try it! The only thing I would suggest is to double the recipe to fill a 9×13 pan. Mine looks half full and the meat sauce barely covered each layer.
Hi Kendra. That’s a great suggestion. I’ve never tried that, but I’m thinking it may be too full if you double it for a 9×13 pan?? My dish is never full either, and once it bakes the sauce and cheeses all come together nicely. Let me know how it turns out! I hope you love it as much as we do 🙂
I feel I had the same issue. But not double the whole recipe just the meat sauce. I’m really quite surprised that this is the first comment about the meat to noodle ratio. Next time I will double and should be perfect.
I agree. If you do want to double the meat, I think that would be delish, but for sure I would not double anything else. Thanks for coming back and leaving your feedback Cameron.
We tried this recipe tonight. I knew that it was going to be lacking in flavor so I added basil, oregano, & parsley to the meat sauce as it simmered. You could also use Italian Seasoning. The only problem I had was the cooking time. 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven is not nearly enough. I would suggest leaving it in the oven for at least 30 – 40 minutes. This will allow the cottage cheese to get to it’s melting point.
I love your addition of spices. That’s one of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can make it your own. We love it as is, but I know others have changed it up to their liking. As far as the cooking time goes, everything is already cooked when you put it in the oven, so I would be really cautious about leaving it in there longer than 20 minutes. There is not enough liquid in the casserole and because of that I’m afraid the egg noodles would burn to the bottom of the pan. I’ve never had a problem with the cooking time and I still make this at least 2x a month. Was your dish in the fridge first before you cooked it? Because that could change the cooking time. Thanks so much for coming back to leave your feedback 🙂
My dish was never in the fridge. It just ended up tasting like I stuck a bunch of raw ingredients into a casserole dish and served it up. The sour cream and raw cottage cheese was the main flavor there.
Sorry it didn’t work out for you. I only mention the fridge because if I make mine ahead of time I will stick it in the fridge and then it needs about 5+ extra minutes of cooking time. Thank you for leaving your feedback 🙂
This is one of my family’s favorites! I’ve been making it for a couple years now. The only difference is I chop up a couple green onions and toss them in with the egg noodles mixture along with a big dose of black pepper. It’s amazing!
Hi Jenna. Oh my, I love the idea of green onions. They would bring so much flavor I bet. I may try it next time I make this 🙂
This was good, but not great. It was kind of just a creamy-kind of like lasagna-slightly bland dinner. My family said they liked it, but I thought it was just ok. I didn’t have a can of tomato sauce so I blended a can of stewed tomatoes as a substitute. I also used ricotta cheese versus the cottage cheese.
Hey Jessica. Sorry to hear it did not turn out amazing! Stewed tomatoes have a thinner consistency than tomato sauce, so I am guessing that did not help in the bland taste. Also, try it with the cottage cheese. It provides more flavor than the ricotta. I’ve always thought ricotta cheese is bland with no flavor. Thanks so much for coming back to leave your feedback 🙂
I made this using plain Greek yogurt (vs sour cream) and part skim ricotta (not cottage cheese). I added onion, zucchini and red bell pepper as well as Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.
I love your additions and changes Amanda. Greek yogurt and skim ricotta cheese would definitely help cut down on calories 🙂 Thank you for coming back to leave your feedback.
This has become a staple in our house – I make it a couple times a month. My 4yo gobbles it up and so that ALWAYS makes it a welcome recipe in my book. 🙂 I season it up with italian seasoning, garlic/onion salt, parsley etc as we like things a little more flavorful and I liken it to a lasagna flavor without all the work. I’m wondering how it would taste with mexi-flavors instead? I may get brave one of these days and try that. I also use my immersion blender to smooth out the cottage cheese/sour cream mixture. A keeper for sure!! Thank you!
Hi Kate! I am so happy to hear it’s become a favorite. I still make it at least twice a month too. My kids gobble it up as well, so it’s def one of those meals that I know there won’t be any whining over 🙂 Mexi-flavors actually sound amazing. Use some salsa and maybe add some black beans?? Now I want to try it 🙂
Try it with some ricotta cheese!! It’s so super creamy and smooth!! No need for the immersion blender!! 🙂
CAN YOU SUBSTITUE OTHER KINDS OF NOODLES INSTEAD OF EGG NOODLES?
Hey Linda. I’m sure you could. I’ve never done it so I can’t promise that it will turn out as yummy as the original recipe 🙂 Just make sure you substitute the same amount of whatever noodles you use.
I made this yesterday. I’m another one of those cooks that can’t follow a recipe exactly. I doubled the meat mixture. I live with carnivores. I added onion, garlic, parsley and a can of Rotel tomatoes. I also used extra Colby Jack cheese. It was great! Thanks for posting.
Hi Lisa! I’m so glad you loved this. My husband and son would be so happy if I doubled the meat mixture 🙂 Great additions too.
FIVE STARS my grandparents are just about as picky eaters as kids, and they LOVED this! We ate the entire thing by ourselves. Added a fresh tomato from our garden and an onion to give it a little extra and it was not a disappointment. Five stars!
So good to hear EB! My family of 5 devours this too 🙂 Thanks for coming back to let me know.
Can you make it without cottage cheese? Sounds good but I don’t have that available right now.. Also, do you think it would taste good with cheddar cheese as the cheese..? A anyway sounds delish, I’ll try it as soon as I get answer! Lol I’m no cook, and I don’t want it to be gross, and I don’t know what’s good and what’s not!
Hi Ruth! I have made this probably hundreds of times and I have never used anything but the cottage cheese. I would recommend using it for sure! But, I have other people comment and say that they used ricotta cheese and it worked. Me personally, I think ricotta cheese is very bland which is why I love the cottage cheese in this dish. As far as the cheese goes, yes cheddar would be an excellent choice. I usually always buy colby jack cheese so that is why I wrote that in the recipe. But, any cheese can be used with great results. I hope you give it a try. It’s a super easy recipe (and yummy!) that even beginner cooks could pull off. Let me know how you like it 🙂
I didn’t have cottage cheese (none to be had where I live overseas) so I used a mix of ricotta, herbed cream cheese, and sour cream. I also used mimolette (similar to cheddar) and gouda (similar to Colby)in place of the Colby Jack. It came out great!
I made this for lunch yesterday, with some slight modifications to suit what I had on hand, and it was a hit! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks!
Hi Katie. So good to hear! That is why I love this recipe because it’s so versatile. Thanks for stopping by with your comment 🙂
Can I make this and freeze it? Then take out and bake later?
I would recommend not freezing it because of the cottage cheese it has in it. Dairy does not freeze and then thaw/cook well. You could always try and let me know 🙂
This recipe was really good! I substituted lentils for the beef (bought in a 1 lb package steamed from trader joes) and added fresh parsley, garlic and oregano to the sauce. Added parm cheese with the noodles. Hubby approved, will definitely make again!
Yum! I love lentils but don’t make them often (not sure why!). I love all the herbs and spices you added too. Great additions. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know.
Hi Lynn. I am so sorry about the ad. I had no idea the ads were doing that and yes that would be very frustrating. I apologize. I’ve had problems with this ad company and was in the middle of changing from them but then we had our baby and things have been crazy since. Thank you for your comment and letting me know. It will all be fixed soon. I am so glad your family loves the recipe. It’s one of our favorites too. Have a great day 🙂
Used ground venison with Italian seasoning, green pepper and onions. It was delicious!
Yum! I love the addition of green pepper, onion, and Italian seasoning! That’s my very favorite thing about this recipe is that it’s so versatile. Thanks for coming back to let me know 🙂
Has anyone tried adding in broccoli or something similar? If so, at what point would you add it to the dish? I did read about the addition of corn but am curious about other vegetables. Great looking recipe, I plan on trying this dish soon! Thanks!
Hi Casey. Broccoli sounds like a great addition. I would add the broccoli along with the tomato sauce and seasonings and then let it simmer all together for a few minutes. Be sure and chop it small so that it can cook until tender in time. This casserole is not super saucy so adding broccoli may soak up even more of the liquid, you may want to consider adding an additional 8 oz can of tomato sauce (plus the 15 oz called for in the recipe). I’ve never tried this but it seems like it would work just fine. I hope you enjoy!
Just made this for dinner…Absolutely amazing and super easy! The only change I made was that I added onions to the beef mixture. My husband and 4yo daughter loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
So happy to hear to that! Fresh onion would be amazing in this I am sure. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
This looks AMAZING! Would it mess up the recipe if I used ricotta instead of cottage cheese?
I think ricotta would work just fine. I know other readers have used it and said that it’s good. I’ve never done it so I can’t say for sure. If it helps at all, the cottage cheese sort of melts into the noodles so it’s not a very apparent or strong taste in this dish. I hope you enjoy it!
Pretty good. Next time I’ll use onion and bell peppers. Add some Italian seasoning, add an egg to the cottage cheese and no sour cream. Also add a few tablespoons of butter and sugar to the meat and a can or two of tomato paste as well. And half a cup of water. Also double the cheese and use mozzarella in addition to the Colby Jack blend.
Your changes sound wonderful. Sounds like a Lasagna ☺️
Can i use ricotta cheese for cottage cheese?
Yes you could! Others have tried that and said it turned out fine. I have personally never used it so I can’t say for sure taste wise what it would do. Hope that helps 🙂
What would I cook with this as far as side dishes go? Any recommendations?
We all love green salad so that’s what I do. I’ll usually buy the bagged salad and just add some chopped cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. You could also serve with some carrots. These carrots are sweet and kids love them even https://togetherasfamily.com/2015/07/slow-cooker-sweet-glazed-carrots/ or these 15 minute skillet carrots https://togetherasfamily.com/2017/08/15-minute-skillet-sweet-carrots/
I have a child with a ton of food allergies. I would have to cut out all the dairy and use a pumpkin butternut squash sauce because he can’t have tomatoes. Do you think it will still be ok? I also will have to use rice noodles.
I am just hoping it won’t be terrible. (he is 4)
Oh no! So sorry to hear about your little guy. Sadly, I don’t have any experience with allergies or any of these products as substitutions. I don’t even know what to say and don’t want to steer you in the wrong direction. It’s always worth trying and experimenting.
Why is it that the picture doesn’t look like it has tomato sauce, or very little? When I made it it was very tomato saucy. Also the cottage cheese didn’t melt like I thought it was supposed to.
The casserole should not be swimming in tomato sauce, but it should be coated in it. I like to let my meat mixture summer on low while I boil the egg noodles. So perhaps mine was thicker?? The cottage cheese is not supposed to melt fully, it just kind of gets creamy when combined with the hot noodles and baked.
Have this going in the oven right now! Unfortunately at the store I accidentally grabbed the low fat cottage cheese so we will see.
That should be ok ? Hope you loved it! I just love the richness and creaminess the full fat cottage cheese adds.
I followed the recipe exactly and while it is tasty is wasn’t anywhere near creamy. It was almost dry.
So sorry to hear. Maybe you used too many egg noodles? I have noticed in the grocery store that there are several different sized bags (which makes it super confusing) so it would be easy to grab a larger bag than needed. Thank you for coming back to leave your comment.
This is recipe was delicious. My husband does not like tomatoes in any fashion and when I saw 15 oz tomatoe sauce I was concerned. But I followed the recipe and it turned out outstanding. My husband really liked it; he said when you make it again do it exactly like you did. Thanks,
So good to hear. I still make this dish regularly so I am really glad that others enjoy it too. Surprisingly it’s not very tomato-y at all 🙂 Thanks for coming back to leave your comment.
Made double batch and put in individual meal containers to take to my parents who do not cook anymore. In freezer now. Will keep you posted.?. I could not resist eating some of that pasta mixed with the sour cream and cheese though. Delish.
I assembled this today before work and had my mom throw it in the oven before I got home. Mom and dad thought it needed a little something but my husband and I loved it. It will now be the base of casseroles in the future! Like the others who added and changed things, I will do the same. I’m so happy I tried it as is first. Thanks so much for such an easy recipe!
This recipe is a staple at our house! It’s so amazing. We grow our own tomatoes and can them for all winter. It’s really good with your own canned tomato sauce! I will be a farmers wife here soon and this meal is great to take out to the field for my guys! Thank so much!!
Homegrown tomatoes 🙂 That sounds amazing. So happy to hear this is a staple recipe. You’re very welcome! Thank YOU for commenting and letting me know.
Made this tonight but didn’t have all the ingredients so substituted, omitted, and added. 🙂 I added onion and garlic to the ground beef. I didn’t have cottage cheese or cream cheese so just used sour cream. I used half a can of tomato sauce and a can of cream of mushroom. This turned out amazing! My 4 year old took the first bite and said, “Mmmm, Mom this is good!” This is a keeper. I will make it following the original recipe next time. 🙂
Substitutions are just fine! Onion and garlic sound like great additions. I may have to try that next time. Although, I love the ease of this recipe because there is no chopping involved, which makes me happy 🙂
Can this be doubled easily? Thanks!
Oh for sure! Just use 2 9×13 baking pans and divide the mixtures between both of them.
We changed it up and added white rice instead of noodles and added taco seasoning to the meat and served with fritos corn chips on top ….omg was sooo much better
Made this tonight, it turned out so good! Thanks for the recipe!
Made this last night. Big hit. I did add onion, garlic and bell pepper to the meat. I didn’t have tomato sauce so I used pasta sauce. Everyone loved it. Thanks for a great recipe.
Made 2 pans of this for a gathering and everyone loved it, from 20 month old to great grandma. Easy to prepare, too. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
Hey there! This is delicious, but I think the macros are off. It shows 4g carbs per serving, and when I input the recipe, I get 50g of carbs per serving. Am I missing something?
I am currently going through and reworking all the nutrition information. This is an older recipe so it probably just has not been done yet. But yes, it definitely has more than 4 grams carbs (I wish tho, right?! 🙂 ). I will move this one to the top of that list and get it done sooner. Hope that helps.
My husband loved this. He said I could make it anytime. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and sprinkled some parmesan cheese on top. It was yummy.
This is my second time making this. I substituted a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes w/ onion and garlic for the tomato sauce and spices. Love it! Makes so much I am going to try freezing some and see how it holds up.
I have made this. My family does not care for ricotta so for years I run my cottage cheese through the blender till its smooth. Pretty sure it’s not the taste of cottage cheese but the texture at least with my family. They love it and never known the difference.
I love this recipe, it’s easy to make. I always add extra cheese. but my family loves it.
Extra cheese is always a good idea! Thank you for your comment!
This was really good. Comfort food at its best!
Thank you! So glad you liked it!
Hi! Could you replace sour cream with something else?
I like to replace sour cream with plain Greek yogurt, it still has a tang and keeps the creaminess.