Sour Cream Noodle Bake is so easy to make, and chances are you have everything you need already in your pantry to prepare this hearty dish. This casserole has a creamy filling, and it is packed with meat so your family will love this dish.
Noodle Bake, hot dish, casserole, it does not matter what you grew up calling them we all know those familiar, cheesy, creamy, starchy, meaty dinners from weeknight suppers, Church socials, and Scout buffet tables. They were part of my mother’s regular meal rotation when I was growing up.
These humble dinners have survived the test of time because they are made with the most basic of ingredients, most, if not all, of which you already have in your cupboard, and because those ingredients can easily be switched out for something else.
Easy Ground Beef Casserole with Noodles
This old-fashioned, Sour Cream Noodle Bake is so easy to make, a beginner cook can prepare it. My recipe calls for 8 ounces of dry pasta and you can use any type of pasta you like: bowties, wagon wheels, ziti, those flat, ribbon-like egg noodles, or even small, macaroni elbows will go well with the sauce.
Are you ever looking for that perfect dish to make when you come home from work? You want something filling and easy. This is the dish for you. And this ground beef egg noodles sour cream casserole also reheats very well, so it will taste great when you take it to work the next day.
Sour cream noodle bake has simple ingredients. The result is a delightful casserole with a cheesy and creamy filling that can fill up the bellies of those you love.
If you want, you could add some veggies such as celery, carrots, or even some mushrooms to this casserole. You can also use ground chicken instead of ground beef.
What Makes Sour Cream Noodle Bake the Ultimate Easy to Bake Weeknight Casserole?
You don’t need to compromise when it comes to midweek dinners. Stop spending a fortune on take-out or resorting to premade frozen dinners. It is possible to have delicious, homemade meals that are quick and easy to prepare.
This classic Sour Cream Noodle Bake recipe is loaded with family-pleasing beef and cheese but takes only 20 minutes to bake in the oven. Boil the noodles in advance, and you can have a hot, nutritious meal on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Why You Should Try This Sour Cream Noodle Bake Recipe
Some recipes for Sour Cream Noodle Bake use ingredients like cream cheese, ricotta cheese, or Alfredo sauce in place of cottage cheese. This lighter version has a fresher taste and is a more health-conscience modern take on an old classic.
This casserole’s mild seasonings and low cost make it an ideal take-along for potlucks or church dinners.
Ingredients to Make a Sour Cream Noodle Bake Casserole
For this casserole, you’ll need:
- Noodles, cooked and drained
- Ground beef
- Butter
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Garlic salt
- Tomato sauce
- Cottage cheese
- Sour cream
- White onions, chopped
- Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Wide egg noodles are a great option to use in this dish, but you can also try your favorite short pasta, like penne or rigatoni, if you prefer.
Small curd cottage cheese is best for this recipe.
How To Make This Casserole
To prepare the beef for this dish:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the butter and ground beef to the skillet.
- Season the beef with salt, ground black pepper, and garlic salt.
- Brown ground beef, stirring and breaking it up into crumbles as it is cooking.
- Stir in the tomato sauce.
- Adjust the heat to a low simmer. Cook for five minutes.
- Turn off the heat and cover the skillet to keep the beef mixture warm.
To finish the casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the noodles in a large pot of water to al dente and drain the noodles.
- Place the sour cream, cottage cheese, and raw onions in a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the cooked noodles.
- Stir until combined.
- Butter a 13 x 9 casserole dish.
- Spread half of the sour cream mixture on the bottom of the greased casserole dish.
- Top the noodle mixture with half of the meat sauce and half of the cheese.
- Repeat with the remaining noodle mixture and the final layer of grated cheddar cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is crispy.
- Let the casserole cool for a few minutes before serving it with an optional garnish of extra sour cream and chopped onions.
What To Serve With It
Some folks enjoy this casserole with a couple of slices of crusty garlic bread, but pairing it with a green vegetable like Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts or simple Garlic Green Beans ensures a more well-balanced meal.
How To Store Leftovers
If you plan to finish the remaining Sour Cream Noodle Bake casserole over the next few days, you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. But for storing leftovers any longer than that, you should put them in the freezer in an airtight container.
Make Ahead
In addition to freezing a cooked casserole, you can prepare the Sour Cream Noodle Bake in advance and freeze it uncooked. If you are going this route, it is better to assemble the casserole in a baking dish and then wrap it in plastic.
Cover the plastic wrap with aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Let the frozen unbaked casserole thaw overnight in the fridge, and then bake it according to the recipe above.
How Long Does It Last
Refrigerated leftovers will be good for about three days, but you can keep any extra casserole in the freezer for up to three months.
Cut thawed leftovers into single portions and place the pieces in a covered baking dish. Reheat the casserole in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven until hot, about 15 to 20 minutes.
More Comfort Casseroles
- Chicken Cornbread Casserole
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Hash Brown and Hamburger Casserole
- Ground Beef Casserole
- Mexican Casserole with Tortillas
- Mexican Cornbread Casserole
- Poppyseed Chicken Casserole
- Sausage and Rice Casserole
- Sausage Mac and Cheese Casserole
- Tortilla Taco Bake
Favorite Pasta Recipes
Check out more of my easy casserole recipes and the best pasta recipes on CopyKat!
Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Ingredients
- 8 ounces noodles cooked and drained
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
Instructions
- Brown meat in butter. Add salt, pepper, garlic salt, and tomato sauce; simmer for 5 minutes. Combine cottage cheese, sour cream, onions and noodles.
- Alternate layers of noodle mixture and meat mixture in a 2-quart casserole, beginning with the noodles and ending with meat. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Yields 6 – 8 servings.
Gary Hohenstein
Of course, I assume the recipe calls for 8 oz. of dry noodles, not cooked weight. Could be a bit confusing to some.
Stephanie Manley
Yes, the recipe was for dry noodles, I will be sure to note that for others. I hope everything else was ok with the recipe.