Sour cream beef noodle casserole is a dependable family favorite. With egg noodles in a rich beefy tomato sauce and cheesy sour cream layers.
A good casserole is a great answer to end-of-the-year weeknight meals. It’s comforting and serves up a big batch of food for no-fuss dinners. There’s usually a lot of leftovers too so you can relax the next day. If you have hamburger or ground beef in your freezer to use up, try this kid-friendly sour cream beef noodle casserole.
This old-fashioned meal is a deliciously simple combination of beef, pasta, tomato sauce and cheese to serve up a warm and bubbly meal. “Comfort” is the word that comes to mind when we think about digging into this casserole.
It’s a little twist on your traditional tomato and beef noodle casserole. We’re stacking a few layers of egg noodles mixed with sour cream, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese between layers of ground beef in a rich and rustic tomato sauce and generous layers of cheddar cheese for a creamy melt. For more comforting beef recipes, try this beef stroganoff or a classic Salisbury steak recipe.
How To Make Sour Cream Beef Noodle Casserole (1 Min Video)
SOUR CREAM BEEF NOODLE CASSEROLE RECIPE TIPS
Onions and garlic – You can substitute fresh onions and garlic with onion and garlic powder. I would start with 1/2 teaspoon first and build up from there for more flavor.
Ground beef – If you use extra lean ground beef, you won’t need to drain as much grease.
Pasta – I used wide egg noodles but you could also use regular egg noodles or pasta like elbow macaroni or shells. To prevent soggy noodles in the casserole, we rinse the cooked noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process.
For that reason, I like to cook the noodles a little under al dente. So if the package directions suggest cooking it for 9-12 minutes, I’ll pick 9 minutes and finish off the cooking in the oven.
Seasonings – I added smoked paprika to give the meat layer a rustic, smoky flavor and some Worcestershire sauce to balance out the tartness from the tomatoes.
Switch out cottage cheese – If you’re not a fan of cottage cheese, you can substitute it with ricotta or cream cheese. Cottage cheese is soft and creamy and isn’t as sour as you might think. For this recipe, I used Breakstone’s small curd cottage cheese with 4% milkfat.
Cheddar cheese – I used extra sharp cheddar but you can use mild cheddar, triple cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, or Pepper Jack.
Green onions – Some versions use green onions mixed in with the sour cream egg noodles layer. If you’re a fan of green onions, try this out! It’s about 1/2 cup of chopped green onions mixed into the sour cream noodles.
Mixing it up – I made three layers to give three distinct flavors when digging in but you can mix all the layers together and bake it that way for easier assembly.
Make it in advance – You should be able to make this in advance, cover and refrigerate it. Try adding in an extra 10-15 minutes of baking time since you’re starting with a chilled casserole.
Customize It!
- Add more heat – Add more kick with some jalapeños or cayenne pepper.
- Add more flavor – Throw in some bacon bits in there for more flavor.
And that’s about it. Enjoy digging in! Let me know how you liked it, what substiutions you made or what you paired it with in the comments below.
MORE CASSEROLE RECIPES TO TRY
- Meatball Pasta Bake
- Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli Bake
- Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
- Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
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Sour Cream Beef Noodle Casserole
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
Sour cream beef noodle casserole is a dependable family favorite. With egg noodles in a rich beefy tomato sauce and cheesy sour cream layers.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. uncooked egg noodles
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
- 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz. sour cream
- 8 oz. small curd cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles according to package directions until al dente. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Add a splash of olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking.
- Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a skillet, breaking up any clumps. Drain any excess fat.
- Add chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Pour in tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Season with Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and cooked egg noodles. Mix well.
- Spoon half the creamy pasta mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Top with half the beef mixture and half the cheddar cheese.
- Repeat with one more pasta – beef – cheddar layer each. Finish with a cheddar cheese layer on top.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until cheese has melted.
- Top with optional parsley and dish and serve hot.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Add more heat – Add more kick with some jalapeños or cayenne pepper.
- Add more flavor – Throw in some bacon bits in there for more flavor.
- Scroll up to RECIPE TIPS for more useful tips, suggestions and ingredient substitutions.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
Comments & Reviews
I made this but in order to make it healthier I eliminated all of the different cheeses and substituted Greek yogurt for the sour cream. Loved it so much I may make this weekly. I am sure it would be absolutely delish with the cheese. Thank you for this recipe.
Wow, I’ve only ever used Greek yogurt in cooking when making Tandoori chicken but never in a whole casserole. Glad to hear the substitution works, even without the cheese and thank you for sharing!
Can you freeze after cooking? Mince had been frozen before raw. Everyone loved it will definitely be on our menu list x.
I haven’t tried it yet but I don’t see why not. Just as long as you’re aware the sour cream and cottage cheese texture might change a little after freezing. Sour cream tends to get watery and cottage cheese will dry up a little to and be chunky like ricotta cheese. It might not be that big a deal or drastic in a cooked dish but putting the knowledge out there just in case!
This is a favorite at our house. I use mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar, just a person preference, and add some chopped fresh spinach in the meat sauce to get some greens in my husband who otherwise wouldn’t eat any. 😁
Those are great substitutions. I can’t argue with melty cheese strings in a casserole! I sneak in spinach all the time in recipes, especially creamy ones. People don’t mind so much then 😉
Would this work in the crockpot? Any tips for that?
You might be able to do it in a crockpot – I personally have not tried it. Pasta is usually added toward the end in pasta crockpot recipes because it will fall apart and get mushy if added at the beginning. Egg noodles are more delicate than pasta so it’s even trickier – even if added in uncooked. If you were to try it, I would layer it like the recipe using uncooked egg noodles and try it at on high for 1 hour.
Sorry forgot to addd. Is the 1x for 2 people or is the 2x for 2 people?
1x is the original serving which is 6-8 servings. 2x means to double the recipe – so that would be 12-16 servings and another 9×13 casserole dish. Hope this helps!
Can you add a can of mushrooms? Do you think that would taste ok?
Sure you can! I would drain them first then slice them up (if they aren’t already sliced). Saute them after the onions and garlic then continue with step 4. Enjoy!
This was delicious and very easy! I used chickpea noodles and 16 oz. sour cream as I didn’t have the cottage cheese. I will make this again. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re very welcome! I’ve been meaning to try those kinds of noodles/pasta! Always been curious about how they taste. Thanks for sharing your substitutions, Kristin.
I love theses recipes
I’m glad to hear it, Donna. Happy cooking!
Can I freeze this and cook later?
You should be able to assemble, cover and freeze it for up to 2-3 months before baking it when you’re ready. I would let it thaw overnight in the fridge the day before cooking then let it stand on the counter to bring it to room temperature before baking. Since it has dairy in it, it might have a different texture after being frozen, but if you are okay with that, happy freezing!
Do you think ground turkey chopmeat would work instead of beef….. I’m watching my cholesterol.
Absolutely. The protein part is flexible, you can use turkey or chicken instead of beef.
I have a very large family, you post the recipes x 2 is so helpful.
Thank you
You’re welcome, Donna! You can easily scale the recipe up to 3 times by pressing the button on the recipe card itself.
Can you use cream cheese in place of cottage cheese . I’m not a fan of cottage cheese.
Yes, you can. Happy cooking, Dee Dee 🙂
Simple yet delish! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Monica! Thanks for letting me know how it worked out for you <3
Wow. So good and east! Can’t do onion and garlic so put in dehydrated mushrooms. Thank you. Delightful meal
So glad you enjoyed it, Mary! We loved this one too 🙂
What’s the serving size and nutritional facts of this recipe?
It should serve around 6-8, depending on how big your servings are. I’ve gone ahead and added a nutritional label for 8 servings.
Haven’t tried this but am and sounds delicious!!!!!
We thoroughly enjoyed eating up the leftovers (there’s just the two of us so we had a lot). I’m a big fan of cottage cheese so we ended up adding the other half of the tub in with the leftovers. Thank you Kathy, and I hope you enjoy it if you do end up making this!