Sour Cream Noodle Bake
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
Okay fellow carboholics, this Sour Cream Noodle Bake is ‘comfort food bliss 101’ for those of you who cannot get enough beefy pasta goodness!
I’m just saying, there is some damn thing about this Sour Cream Noodle Bake recipe! Al dente tender egg noodles are blanketed in a creamy sauce and baked right along with ground beef and sausage for an easy weeknight meal your whole family will embrace.
This is a great recipe to assemble on an especially busy night when time is truly limited or if you have seriously picky eaters in the family. It’s an easy recipe that boasts hearty pasta in a super cheesy sauce and I promise will put homemade meals in a whole other category of greatness.
Lately, casseroles and bakes like these have been my go-to. And, there are almost always leftovers so the answer to a repeat performance can magically emerge from beneath the lid on an airtight container should I freeze portions for another night.
Sometimes, the most satisfying meals prepared for our own tables, are the ones that are economical, comforting, and just plain simple. The fact that they taste good is a bonus…
Ingredients for This Easy Dinner Bake
- lean ground beef (may substitute ground turkey or ground chicken)
- mild Italian pork sausage
- sweet onion
- garlic
- homemade tomato sauce or jarred marinara sauce
- wide egg noodles
- sour cream
- green onions, green and light green parts only
- small curd cottage cheese (may substitute ricotta cheese or very soft cream cheese)
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder (NOT garlic salt)
- onion powder
- black pepper
- sharp cheddar cheese
- Monterey Jack cheese
Optional
- red pepper flakes
- parmesan cheese
How to Make My Noodle Sour Cream Casserole Recipe
Before You Begin
Preheat your oven to 350°F and butter or spray a pretty 9 x 13 casserole dish. Set aside while you prepare the casserole ingredients.
Grate cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses and set aside. Add the grated cheddar and Jack to a separate bowl and toss to combine.
If you like your bakes on the spicy side, consider adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce, and have them at the ready.
Cook the Components
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage together, breaking up with a wooden spoon, and cooking until the crumbles are nearly browned.
Remove from skillet and spoon onto paper toweling to drain fat. Meanwhile, return the skillet to the heat and add the onions.
Cook until the onions have softened about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the fresh garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Remove skillet from heat.
Add the beef and sausage mixture back to the skillet and stir to mix with the onion. To this mixture, add either tomato sauce if you have homemade or a basic jarred marinara, stirring to combine, and simmer on low heat while you prepare the remaining ingredients. If you plan to add some heat, give the sauce a pinch of red pepper flakes now.
Pro Tip: If the meat mixture appears too thick when you get ready to assemble, use a ladle and stir in some of the starchy pasta water before draining. Use JUST ENOUGH to thin it out slightly.
Boil
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a teaspoon salt and a teaspoon of any oil to help the cooked noodles avoid sticking.
Add the entire bag and cook according to package directions minus 1 minute. They should be just slightly under cooked. Drain and set aside.
Make Sauce
In the barrel of a food processor or mini chef prep, whip the cottage cheese for 1 to 2 minutes until very smooth. This step is optional but I find with picky eaters, cottage cheese oftentimes poses a textural issue, so I whip it to sneak it in. Just substitute ricotta if it’s an issue.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the (whipped) cottage cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions (green and light green parts only), Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper until smooth and well combined. Add the sour cream mixture to the cooked pasta and stir to coat the strands well.
Assemble and Bake
To assemble the casserole, add half of the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the sauce, and then sprinkle with half of the cheese.
Repeat the layers once more making a second layer using the remaining noodles, remaining sauce, and a final layer of cheese. I then sprinkle modestly with additional black pepper but you do you 😉
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until all cheese is melted and bubbly. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and serve immediately with a side salad and a slice of garlic bread. Pass parmesan cheese tableside.
Modifying the Norm to Make It Not Entirely Average
- Add fresh baby spinach leaves or or chopped kale to the sauce before layering.
- Switch up from wide noodles to penne pasta or elbow macaroni.
- Add another layer altogether of chopped artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and sundried tomatoes for a Mediterranean spin.
Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Equipment
- 13 x 9-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- ½ pound lean ground beef may substitute ground turkey or ground chicken
- ½ pound mild Italian pork sausage
- 1 medium sweet onion such as Vidalia diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 cups tomato sauce, homemade if available may substitute basic jarred marinara sauce in equal measure
- 12 ounce bag wide egg noodles may substitute penne pasta or elbow macaroni in equal dry measure
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup green onion chopped; green and light green parts only
- 1 ¼ cups small curd cottage cheese optional – whip for 1 to 2 minutes in food processor until very smooth
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder NOT garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more for dusting surface of casserole if desired
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded from a large block
- ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded from a large block
optional
- red pepper flakes to taste
- parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and butter or spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Grate cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses and add to a separate bowl. Toss to combine.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage together, breaking up with a wooden spoon, and cooking until the crumbles are nearly browned. Remove from skillet and spoon onto paper toweling to drain fat.
- Return the skillet to the heat and add the onions. Cook until the onions have softened about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the fresh garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Remove skillet from heat.
- Add the beef and sausage mixture back to the skillet and stir to mix with the onion. To this add tomato sauce, stirring to combine. Place back over heat and and simmer on low. If you desire heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes now. Pro Tip: If the meat mixture appears too thick when you get ready to assemble, use a ladle and stir in some of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta. Use JUST ENOUGH to thin it out slightly.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a teaspoon salt and a teaspoon of any oil to help the cooked noodles avoid sticking. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions minus 1 minute. Noodles should be slightly under cooked. Drain and set aside.
- In the barrel of a food processor, whip the cottage cheese for 1 to 2 minutes until very smooth. This step is optional. You may add the cottage cheese straight from the container. Cottage cheese oftentimes poses a textural issue for picky eaters, so I whip it first.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the (whipped) cottage cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions (green and light green parts only), Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper until smooth and well combined. Add the sour cream mixture to the cooked pasta and stir to coat the noodles well.
- To assemble the casserole, add half of the noodles to the prepared baking dish. Top the pasta with half of the pasta sauce, and then sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat the layers using remaining noodles, remaining sauce, and a final layer of cheese. Sprinkle modestly with additional black pepper only if desired.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until all cheese is melted and bubbly. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and serve immediately with a side salad and a slice of garlic bread. Pass parmesan cheese tableside for those needing an additional boost of cheesy goodness 😉
Notes
Nutrition
Great recipe!! Loved it!
Olivia, so glad to know you tried it and liked it! I have been experimenting with additional noodle casserole recipes because folks still in quarantine/self quarantining are asking for them. I did a French onion noodle bake two nights ago that passed the “man test,” so will post that very soon. I’d be happy for you to try it 🙂 x – Jenny