Beef Lombardi Casserole (Printable view)
A hearty bake of ground beef, tomatoes, egg noodles and creamy cottage-cheese topped with melted cheddar.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 pound ground beef
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauces & Liquids
04 - 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
05 - 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
06 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
07 - 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
→ Pasta
10 - 8 ounces egg noodles
→ Dairy
11 - 1 cup sour cream
12 - 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
13 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
02 - Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until thoroughly browned, then drain off any excess fat.
03 - Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet with the beef and sauté until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.
05 - Cook egg noodles in a large saucepan according to package directions until al dente, then drain well.
06 - In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream with cottage cheese until evenly blended.
07 - Coat a 9x13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Layer half of the cooked noodles, top with half of the sour cream-cottage cheese mixture, then spread half of the beef mixture. Repeat the layers with remaining noodles, dairy mixture, and meat sauce.
08 - Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese evenly across the surface.
09 - Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly.
10 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving to set layers for clean portions.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It layers like a lasagna but comes together in half the time with zero fuss.
- The creamy cottage cheese and sour cream layer is the quiet hero nobody expects.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully so tomorrow's lunch is already sorted.
02 -
- Drain the beef fat thoroughly or the bottom layer gets oily and the noodles turn soggy.
- Cooking the noodles just shy of al dente keeps them from going mushy during the bake.
- Letting it rest those 10 minutes is not optional because everything firms up and slices properly.
03 -
- Shred your own cheddar from a block because pre shredded bags have coatings that don't melt as smoothly.
- A thin layer of noodles on the very bottom keeps the cream layer from sticking to the dish.