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
Next time I make it I’ll have to cut down in the noodle mixture. Your recipe made enough for 2 8×13 pans but not enough meat mixture for 2. I remedy this by using chicken.
I hope you manage to get it just right the next time and thank you for trying it out! Some casserole dishes are deeper than others. Mine fit nicely into this 9×13 casserole dish which is about 3″ deep.
Great! I added some Italian seasoning and some mozzarella and it was delicious!
Mozzarella is a great addition for cheese strings! You can’t go wrong with a generous layer of cheese on top of a casserole 😉
I added a little slap ya mama seasoning.
Omg was so good, everyone loved it
Yum! Cajun seasoning is a great way to add flavor. I haven’t tried that seasoning brand yet but it is on the to-do list.
This recipe is fantastic !! Now a family fave!!! Thank you for sharing it. I make mine with no changes and it has great flavor for those sensitive to excessive spices (My twin granddaughters love this meal)
Thank you for sharing your experience, Beverly! Smoked paprika is more for lending a smoky flavor than spice and the red pepper flakes can be tweaked to your liking or skipped. I’m glad to hear your granddaughters enjoyed it so much 🙂
Could I increase this recipe and bake in a half-sheet sized (18″x13″) roasting pan to feed a larger crowd? Trying to find large group recipes and this sounds great!
Yes, you can! I would increase it by 1 1/2 portions for those dimensions unless your roasting pan is a deep dish – then I might try doubling it. The cooking time will remain the same since it’s spread out in a bigger pan and not a deeper one.
This was a huge hit in our household if 5! We like spicy so we added quite a bit of red pepper flakes. For the diced tomatoes, we used fire roasted diced tomatoes for a bolder, smokier flavor. We also threw in a small can of diced green chilies as well. Definitely going to start making 2 at a time so I can freeze one to have it made and ready for busy school nights!!!!
I’m so glad you were able to adapt it to your tastes, Amanda! I went through a period where all I used was fire-roasted diced tomatoes 😉 I hope you enjoy the next batch and let me know how well it freezes for you!
I have made this a couple of times. It’s so good! It’s just my husband and I, so we have plenty of leftovers, which is great for us. Second time I made it, I just used jarred marinara sauce rather than the tomato sauce & canned tomatoes. Either way, it’s delicious. Definitely in my dinner rotation.
Thanks for sharing your substitution, Diane. You can get away with any kind of tomato-base as long as it’s the right consistency. Marinara sauce sounds delicious – I love the sweetness of it!
I made this recipe in two separate pans and served it to some girlfriends for a get together dinner. I have to say it was a hit with everyone.
Since I made two separate pans, can I freeze the second one.
Thank you!
Sorry this answer is late – I was on vacation! I hope you figured out what to do with it in the meantime. You could freeze this, but the noodles might be a little mushier later and the texture of the sour cream and cottage cheese might change a little and be grainy.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you, Betty! It sounds like you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
I don’t know what I did wrong since I followed the recipe, but we found this to have no flavor/taste at all! I’m glad others had a hit with this dish, but I was quite disappointed. 🫤
Sorry it wasn’t to your liking! Did you season it with salt and pepper to taste? You could also add seasoning to the noodle/sour cream/cheese mix as well. Or you could just be partial towards dishes that have a ton more flavor like this chipotle chili mac and cheese and there’s nothing wrong with that! I love food with flavors that punch you in the mouth too 🙂
Can I substitute the cottage cheese with provolone and mozzarella cheese’s instead? Please let me know
You can absolutely do that. You will still have the moisture from the sour cream so it should not be a problem.
We added extra red pepper flakes for more heat. It was excellent
I’m glad you were able to adapt it to your tastes, Roni. Red pepper flakes are delicious – I add them to lots of things!
Absolutely delicious! My husband and daughter loved it too! Great flavor
Glad it was a hit and thanks for letting me know, Anna!
I don’t like diced tomatoes. What can I substitute for them?
You can leave it out completely. I would add a bit more tomato sauce to compensate so it is still saucy.
Made this recipe last night and was totally blown away! So delicious! Will try adding a chopped fresh jalapeno next time. Thanks so much Farah for sharing this recipe.
You’re very welcome, Suzanne 🙂 I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. The jalapeno for the next batch will really spice things up!