Last Updated on October 30, 2026
Here’s a no-nonsense recipe for a cheesy beef noodle casserole that everyone will love. It takes less than an hour to make from start to finish. Perfect for a weeknight meal.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It is made with simple ingredients that you likely have on hand.
- There is minimal prep work; the only chopping to do is green onions.
- The result is a main-course meal everyone will enjoy, and leftovers will be just as good.
- This tested recipe is practically foolproof.
Gather Up The Ingredients
Here is what you will need to make this recipe:
- Ground beef: Use ground chuck for its consistent beefy flavor, or substitute regular 85/15 ground beef.
- Can of tomato sauce
- Sour cream
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Green onions (scallions)
- Wide egg noodles
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
Step-By-Step Instructions
Let’s get started. Preheat your oven to 350°.
Then heat water to cook the noodles. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook for about 10 minutes, or until al dente, but follow your label instructions.
In a good-sized skillet, brown the ground chuck. When this is done, skim off most of the fat. Then pour in the tomato sauce, add salt and pepper, stir, and let it warm for 4 or 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, grab a large bowl and mix the sour cream and cottage cheese together. Then add 4 chopped scallions.
You’ll need some grated sharp cheddar cheese to top the noodle bake. Grating your own cheese gives you much more flavor than buying pre-grated.
Drain the noodles, add them to the cheese mixture, and stir well to combine. This is where I taste it and adjust the seasoning.
Finally, add the ground beef and sauce, and stir them together well. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray, then pour in the noodle bake.
Top the casserole with shredded cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese melts. When you take it out of the oven, it should be ready to eat.
All these steps take 50 to 55 minutes.
Serve the cheesy beef noodle casserole with a good crusty bread. You see that I’ve got mine all ready to eat.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
You can store leftovers in a covered container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you plan to eat leftovers the next day, you can keep them in the baking dish, covered with foil, in your refrigerator.
To reheat the casserole, remove it from the refrigerator and let it warm at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to baking. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cover the dish with foil to retain moisture and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the casserole reaches about 165°F.
Reheating in the microwave is best done in individual portions. Use a microwave-safe dish and lightly cover it with a paper towel or loose plastic wrap. Microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until it is heated to your liking.
More Pasta Dishes To Try
Mexican Style Ground Beef Casserole – This is a spicy hamburger and pasta recipe using Rotel tomatoes, black beans, and corn.
One Pot Pasta and Chickpeas Stew – This delightful stew surprises your taste buds with a small amount of bacon.
One Pot American Goulash – Everyone will love this version of goulash with its no-nonsense ingredients.
Beef Tips and Egg Noodles – This is a perfect weekend meal that produces melt-in-your-mouth tender beef and makes perfect gravy to top things off.
Cheesy Beef Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chuck
- 1 can 15 oz. tomato sauce
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat small curd cottage cheese
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 8 oz wide egg noodles, cooked to al dente
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Boil the noodles to al dente according to package directions, drain and reserve. At the same time, brown the ground chuck in a large skillet, (about 10 minutes). Skim off the excess fat.
- Add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper to the meat, stir together and heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream and cottage cheese, then add the chopped scallions.
- Combine the cooked noodles with the cottage cheese mixture, then add the meat sauce. Stir everything together.
- Spray a shallow 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray, then add the noodle casserole ingredients. Top the casserole with grated cheese and place in the oven, 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Serve warm with crusty bread.
Josie
This looks delicious! Perfect comfort food!
Alan Howie
This is a variation of one of my favorite hot dishes. It has all the right stuff to bring out the Scandinavian in me!
Excellent!!