This is a classic sour cream noodle bake. It features wide egg noodles layered with seasoned ground beef, a smooth sour cream and cottage cheese mixture, and melted cheese, baked until hot with bubbling edges. The finished dish is creamy and comforting without being loose, heavy, or dry.
This version stays true to what works. The noodles remain tender, the beef layer stays balanced and savory, and the creamy layer bakes evenly without separating. There are no add-ins or updates here — just a reliable method that produces the familiar result most people expect from a classic baked pasta dish.
Ingredients
Noodles:
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles
Meat Sauce:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 24-ounce jar of Marinara Sauce (I used RAO’s brand)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Divided in half)
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (Divided in half)
Sour Cream Layer:
- 1 ¼ cup 4% small curd cottage cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions
- 3 cups of shredded cheese
Why This Turns Out Creamy
Sour cream and cottage cheese bake into a smooth, even layer that stays creamy once heated through. When layered properly, the components warm and meld together without drying out or curdling. The result is a casserole that’s baked evenly throughout.
Tips for Best Results
- Cook the egg noodles just until al dente so they hold their shape after baking.
- Drain excess fat from the cooked beef to keep the layers clean and cohesive.
- Mix the sour cream and cottage cheese until smooth before assembling to ensure even distribution.
How Long to Bake
Bake just until the casserole is fully heated through, with the cheese melted and the edges gently bubbling. The goal is to warm and unify the layers, not to bake until firm or set.
What the Finished Dish Is Like
The finished sour cream noodle bake is creamy and layered baked pasta with enough structure to scoop cleanly but not slice. The noodles remain distinct, the beef stays well-defined, and the sour cream layer is smooth rather than loose or grainy.
Serving And Storage
Serve warm, family-style, directly from the baking dish, with a Caesar salad on the side.
Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to three days and reheat evenly, maintaining their creamy texture. Freezing isn’t recommended, as the sour cream and cottage cheese can lose their smooth texture after thawing.
Noodle Bake
Ingredients
Noodles
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon garlic, minced
- 24 ounces Marinara Sauce, I used RAO’s brand
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided in half
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, divided in half
Sour Cream Layer
- 1 ¼ cup 4% small curd cottage cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bring water in a 5 to 6 quart saucepan over medium high heat to a low boil.
- Add the egg noodles and cook the noodles al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- While the noodles are cooking, heat a 10 to 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef, chopped sweet yellow onion and minced garlic, stirring often until the ground beef is no longer pink.
- Drain any excess oil from the ground beef.
- Return the ground beef and onion to the skillet, lower the heat to medium.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper. Continue to stir and cook the ground beef mixture just until the mixture is simmering. Remove from the heat.
- Next add the cottage cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, and the other ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper to a medium size mixing bowl. Stir to completely combine.
- Stir in the cooked and cooled egg noodles. Stir until the noodles are evenly coated.
- Spread ½ of the sour cream and egg noodle mixture over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Spoon ½ of the ground beef mixture over the sour cream noodle layer.
- Sprinkle 2 cups of the shredded cheese over the ground beef mixture layer.
- Repeat the layers with the remaining sour cream noodles, ground beef mixture and top it with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the ground beef mixture is bubbling. Serve while hot.
Notes
- Ground turkey, ground pork, or even ground chicken can be used as a substitute for ground beef.
- You can substitute pre-shredded sharp cheddar cheese for the freshly shredded. Be aware that pre-shredded cheese contains cellulose, which can affect the taste and texture of the dish.
- If the ground beef mixture becomes too thick, you can add up to 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to thin the sauce slightly.
Nutrition
Comments
Gloria says
What a fantastic meal!
Arlene Pitts says
Great recipe: tasty and easy! Thanks
Jackie says
Great casserole! Easier than lasagna!
Erin says
Can this be made ahead and frozen?? Sounds delicious!
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Erin – this bake can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge covered in aluminum foil until you are ready to bake it or frozen up to three months. Enjoy!
Kim says
I made this tonight for dinner, and my family said “it’s a keeper!” I used ground chicken instead of beef, I added a bell pepper that was sitting in the fridge and needed to be cooked, and I found some sliced Bel Gioso mozzarella at the store so I used that on top. It turned out great! I frequently decide after making a recipe the first time that it needs several changes, but I think the only thing I could have changed was to broil it for a couple of minutes at the end, but it smelled great and I was hungry!
Nina says
So it didn’t need salt?
Kimberly says
I used extra cheeses… Great!
Julie Salmon says
I grew up on thus. We called it dairy casserole though. I love this!!
Suzy Pratt says
Yummy 🤤
Scott says
I made this tonight. Was looking for a sour cream noodle bake that didn’t sound “blah” and this was it. It was literally one of the best casserole dishes I ever had. Creamy with a tomato-y (I know it’s not a word and I don’t care) kick. I forgot to add the chives but it still turned out good. I like to season the meat with salt and pepper after cooking for a bit more flavor and add some red chili flakes for spice but that’s all I changed.