Save This Recipe

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Okay—this is one of those recipes I never planned to write down. You know the type. The kind you’ve made so many times, you could do it blindfolded while yelling at your kids to stop fighting over the remote. It started as a “throw-together-what’s-left-in-the-fridge” kind of meal, and now… well, now my grown daughter texts me once a month saying, “Mom, what’s that casserole you made that one Christmas where Aunt Deb spilled wine on the dog?”

This is that casserole.

Creamy, beefy, noodle-y. It’s not fancy. It’s not photogenic. But it’s real. It’s hearty and warm and tastes like someone actually cares about you when you eat it. I’ve made it on Sundays when I was exhausted, on Tuesdays when I had 12 minutes and three hungry teenagers staring at me, and for church potlucks when I just didn’t have the emotional capacity to make a salad that “travels well.”

So here you go. The only casserole I’ve never had leftovers of—unless I hid a square for myself behind the orange juice.

What Makes It So Dang Good?

Let me make this quick, because I know you’ve got laundry waiting:

Four kinds of dairy. Not even ashamed. It’s like a Midwestern love letter.
The noodles soak up all that tomatoey beefy goodness. You’ll see.
The cheesy top gets golden and crispy around the edges. I mean… come on.
You can make it ahead and bake it when you’re ready. Or freeze it. Or eat it cold with a fork at 11 PM while standing at the fridge. I’m not here to judge.
Everyone loves it. Even picky eaters who “don’t like cottage cheese.” They won’t even know. Don’t tell them.

Stuff You’ll Need (Nothing Fancy)

This is a pantry meal. A freezer meal. A “forgot-to-plan-dinner” meal. Just regular stuff, I promise:

Egg noodles (12 oz) – The wide kind. But honestly, use what you’ve got. I’m not the pasta police.
Butter (a couple tablespoons) – You need this to cook your onions and give things a little richness. Also, butter’s just good.
Ground beef (about a pound and a half) – I usually use whatever’s on sale.
Half an onion, diced – Don’t skip it. It adds a little sweetness.
Two cans of plain tomato sauce (15 oz each) – Just regular ol’ tomato sauce. Not pasta sauce.
Splash of Worcestershire sauce – Trust me. You probably have some hiding in your fridge door behind the soy sauce.
Black pepper – I never measure. Just a few good shakes.
Cream cheese (1 block, softened) – If you forget to soften it, zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds.
Sour cream (8 oz) – Full fat. The light stuff makes it taste like sadness.
Cottage cheese (1 cup) – I know, I know. Just do it. It melts in and makes everything creamy.
Shredded cheddar (2 cups) – Sharp cheddar’s great. Mild is fine. Whatever’s in the fridge.

Let’s Throw It Together

Honestly, this is the kind of recipe where you just get it done. You don’t have to be precious about it. Here’s how it goes:

Turn on the oven – 350°F. Grease your 9×13 baking dish or just spray it and call it a day.
Cook your noodles – Boil ‘em. Drain ‘em. Set ‘em aside. Don’t overcook—they’ll soften more in the oven.
Brown your beef with the onion – Start with butter in a big skillet, then toss in the diced onion. Cook it down a couple minutes, then add your beef. Brown it up and drain the grease.
Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire, pepper – Stir it all together in the pan. Let it simmer a minute or two while you get the rest ready.
Mix the dairy – In a big bowl, mash the cream cheese around until it’s smooth-ish. Add sour cream and cottage cheese. Stir it until it looks like something a picky 5-year-old would refuse to eat—but we know better.
Layer it all up
- Half the noodles go in the pan first.
- Pour the beef/tomato mix over and spread it around.
- Top with the rest of the noodles.
- Spoon the dairy mix over that and smooth it out.
- Sprinkle cheddar all over the top. More if you’re feeling generous.
Bake it – 25 to 30 minutes, uncovered. You want that top bubbly and a little browned.

A Few Things You Can Do If You Feel Fancy

I rarely do this, but hey, maybe you want to jazz it up:

Add spinach or chopped zucchini to the beef if you want to sneak in veggies.
Swap ground turkey if you’re trying to be “better.”
Add crushed red pepper if your people can handle heat.
Use mozzarella instead of cheddar. Or both. Cheese rules are loose around here.

Leftovers (If You Get That Lucky)

This reheats perfectly. Microwave it, toss it back in the oven, whatever works. Here’s how I usually handle it:

Fridge: Keeps 3–4 days. If it lasts that long.
Freezer: Wrap it tight. Eat it within a couple months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat low and slow.
Sneak bites cold? Yep. Delicious.

Alright, Friend…

If you’re still reading this, go preheat your oven and get moving. This isn’t a five-star chef recipe, but it’s the kind of meal people ask for again. And again. And again.

If you end up making it, come back and tell me what your people thought. Or what you added. Or if you didn’t tell your kids there was cottage cheese in it. I won’t tell either.

Catch you in the kitchen,