Comforting and delicious, this Good Dinner casserole is the best recipe to keep on hand. It’ll be done in under an hour and guaranteed to fill you up! Layers of creamy cheese, rich tomato sauce and beef make this pasta dish one the whole family is going to love.
I tend to gravitate toward making food that I know will photograph well. Colorful food is pretty, and pretty photos are fun to gaze at. But what about food that doesn’t necessarily look beautiful, yet tastes great? Well, I say all types of food deserve a chance to shine! This recipe (which comes from The Big Book of Easy Suppers, by the way) was titled well because it is good! And really, tasting good is all that matters, right? Well, unless all you want to do is look at pretty photos of food.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook 12 ounces (4 cups) of egg noodles according to package directions. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, combine:
1 pound ground beef (I used venison to make it leaner, considering all the cheese that is about to come)
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Cook until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, about 6 to 7 minutes.
Stir in 1 can (15 ounces) of tomato sauce and simmer for several minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (or plain nonfat yogurt for a healthier option)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place the cooked egg noodles (or, um, elbow macaroni, if you happened to grab the wrong thing at the store) in a lightly sprayed 3- to 4-quart casserole dish and toss with 2 tablespoons of butter.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the noodles in an even layer.
Top that with the meat mixture from the skillet.
Top with 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese.
Bake, covered, in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 35 minutes.
See? It’s not beautiful. But it’s totally yummy.
Good Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 oz. egg noodles 4 cups, cooked according to package directions and drained
- 2 tbsp. butter at room temperature
- 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain nonfat yogurt
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- vegetable oil as needed
- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place noodles while still warm in a lightly sprayed or oiled 3- to 4-quart casserole and toss with butter. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper. Spread mixture over the noodles.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, combine beef, onion and garlic and sauté, breaking up meat with a spoon, until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Add a little oil if needed. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer several minutes. Pour over the noodles and top with cheese; do not mix. Bake, covered, until bubbly, about 35 minutes.
Nutrition
Hi Jackie! I am so happy to hear that you and your husband liked this recipe! It's delicious, isn't it?! Great call on the shredded Parmesan. I hope your "bad casserole" tasted great, too. 🙂
Megan
I made this tonight and my husband was amused by its name (I told him we were having Bad Casserole tomorrow night). We both loved it though! Very fun and lasagna-ish, without all the layers and hassle. I added a little shredded Parmesan to the cheese mixture because I had a few tablespoons I needed to use soon, and that was good too. Great comfort food, and not ultra heavy! Awesome! 🙂
Hi Valeigh! You could just omit the cottage cheese or try adding a bit of greek yogurt in place of it. Let me know what you try! Good luck!
Megan
What can I use instead of cottage cheese?
We thought this casserole was rich and decadent, in the same way as lasagna is. A real hit at our house and we'll definitely make it again. So-o-o easy and made with items we have on hand.
Can't wait to try this one. How many does it feed?
I did make this, have a look at my version. 🙂
Wow, this looks gorgeous!! And delicious, of course! I make a lot of food that is soooo good, but does not photograph well. 🙂
This looks delicious, I love casseroles! Looking forward to trying this myself! 🙂
that looks awesome!…and super fattening, but this will definitely be on our menu soon. thanks for the cookbook recommendation, too!
I beg to differ. I think it's absolutely beautiful. So beautiful that i'll be making it for my family very. If I hadn't already promised them another dish, it would be tonight. Many thanks for sharing this.
I think you did one amazing job photographing a less photographic dish…wonderful recipe as well!
And I agree, some foods don't photograph as well as others, but it does not mean they don't deserve a spot light 🙂 Really nice!
I guess its not the most beautiful food in the world, but the flavors sound dead on! Besides, I love a good casserole.
Looks wonderful! I hate when I have something delicious but the pics don't make it look appetizing!
This looks wonderfully tasty and comforting! It's been a cold weekend here in MN and this will definitely be welcomed at our house.
I think my boyfriend will love this. I'm keeping this recipe! Thank you!
what a beautiful casserole!! grat job keeping it light with the cottage cheese and yogurt!
I agree its best to make foods that look more appealing and photograph well, we do eat with our eyes!
Cheers
Dennis
That actually looks pretty darn tasty if you ask me! Your photography is amazing. If only I had your skills with the camera! *jealous*
Very nice! Easy and delicious and I think it looks great! Totally holds it on against pictures of perfect macarons and fancy gin drinks 🙂 Well done!