My beef noodle casserole is comfort food at it’s finest. Tender noodles, coated in a rich creamy, cheesy sauce, layered with a delicious beefy filling!
Beef and noodles are utterly irresistible — so add in two types of the creamiest cheese, and you’ve got a dinner that’ll leave your family applauding! This beef noodle casserole recipe is similar to my favorite beef stroganoff, so if you love that, you’ll be right on board with the chewy egg noodles and savory beef in a rich, decadent cream sauce!
May I suggest more hearty beef recipes? My hamburger casserole has been a huge family favorite for more years than I can remember and my beef stew recipe is rich, delicious, and wonderfully stick-to-your-ribs delish!
Dinner’s on!
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What I Love About This Beef Noodle Casserole Recipe
Combining beef and noodles with cream sauce is a match made in heaven! This beef noodle casserole is a dinnertime saver — I know it’ll come together quickly, and I know my family love it!
- Oven-baked magic!
- Creamy dreamy sauce
- Family pleasing guaranteed
Beef Noodle Casserole Recipe Notes
Egg Noodles: What makes egg noodles so chewy and inviting? The secret is no secret actually: eggs! The only thing separating egg noodles from other kinds of pasta is the number of eggs used in the recipe. This gives egg noodles a chewier texture perfect for this beef noodle casserole recipe!
Cottage Cheese: Listen, I have to confess I’m not overly fond of cold cottage cheese. I know there are a lot of people who feel the same way. But I do, indeed, really like it when it is baked up and combined with other creamy ingredients like sour cream.
So, I hope you won’t be put off by it in this recipe. It will taste better than you think. If you decide it’s not something you want to try, you can sub it out with ricotta cheese.
Tomato Sauce: The tomato sauce in this recipe is the key to balancing all that creamy goodness with some acidity. Don’t skip it!
And also make sure you grab the right kind of tomato sauce — not puree or paste! The difference is in the consistency. Tomato sauce is just right for this dish!
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
My sour cream noodle bake is great as a leftover! Treat it as you would macaroni and cheese with ground beef — it’s like an elevated version of that!
Store your beef noodle casserole recipe leftovers in an airtight container and stick them in the fridge for up to four days.
Can You Freeze This Beef Noodle Casserole Recipe?
I don’t like this beef noodle casserole recipe frozen. The noodle texture changes as does the sour cream. It does freeze better than most casseroles with a lot of dairy in them, but I still don’t recommend it
Make Ahead Tips
You can mix up the cottage cheese mixture ahead of time and store it covered in the fridge. You can also cook the beef and tomato sauce mixture and store it the same way. Then just cook the noodles and assemble them when you’re ready to cook dinner.
Serving Recommendations
Lion House rolls are always a delicious accompaniment and one my family always requests! And what about veggies? Serve up a big ol’ bowl of southern style green beans or try my cheesy roasted Brussels sprouts for savory sides everyone will love.
Recipe Variations
- Cook in an instant pot. Save even more time by making this recipe the same way you would my Instant Pot beef stroganoff.
- Use chicken instead. Swap the beef for lighter meat similar to my chicken cordon bleu casserole.
- Add pepperoni. Can’t decide between casserole and pizza? Add pepperonis on top to make ground beef pizza casserole!
- Use potatoes. If you have lots of potatoes, you can make a ground beef casserole with potatoes or turn this completely into hamburger potato casserole.
More Beef Casserole Recipes
- Shredded Beef Enchiladas
- Hamburger Casserole
- Dorito Casserole
- Sloppy Joe Casserole
- John Wayne Casserole
- Mexican Casserole
Beef Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Egg Noodles
- 1 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 cups cottage cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup green onions, sliced
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Cook egg noodles (12 ounces) according to package instructions, until just al dente. Drain well and set aside. Rinse pot noodles were cooked in with cold water. Drain (should be dry) and allow to cool a few minutes.
- Add sour cream (1 1/2 cup), cottage cheese (3 cups), cream cheese (8 ounces), and green onions (3/4 cup ) to drained pasta pot and stir to combine. Add drained noodles back to the pot. Mix until evenly coated.
- In a large skillet, brown beef (1 1/2 pounds) until there was no longer any pink. Drain off excess fat. Stir in salt (1 teaspoon), pepper (1/2 teaspoon ), garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon), Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon), and tomato sauce (15 ounces). Simmer on low for 5-7 minutes.
- Assemble: spread half the noodles in the prepared baking dish in a single layer. Top with half the ground beef mixture, and then 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese. Repeat with noodles and meat. Cover with foil.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Remove foil and top with remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese and return to the oven. Continue to bake until cheese melts, 7-10 minutes.
My son and my aunt love this! They’re asking this to be a new regular dinner menu!
That’s amazing, Robin! And thank you for your positive feedback 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! I love it!
Thank you, Dani! 🙂