Beef Lombardi Casserole (Printable)
Layered beef and noodle bake with tomatoes, creamy cottage-sour topping and melted cheddar, comforting weeknight main.
# 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
# How to Make It:
01 - Set oven to 350°F and allow to fully preheat.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until thoroughly browned. Drain excess fat.
03 - Add finely chopped onion and minced garlic to the beef. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 2–3 minutes.
04 - Incorporate diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, allowing flavors to blend.
05 - While the sauce simmers, cook egg noodles in a large saucepan of boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
06 - In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese until smooth.
07 - Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Spread half of the cooked noodles evenly in the dish, then top with half the sour cream-cottage cheese mixture followed by half the beef sauce. Repeat layers with remaining noodles, dairy mixture, and sauce.
08 - Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese uniformly over the assembled casserole.
09 - Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes or until the cheese is golden and casserole is bubbling.
10 - Allow casserole to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It layers like lasagna but skips all the fussy assembly with egg noodles doing the heavy lifting.
- The creamy cottage cheese and sour cream layer melts into something almost sinful under that cheddar blanket.
- You can build the whole thing ahead of time and just slide it into the oven when company arrives.
02 -
- Undercook your noodles slightly or they turn mushy after 30 minutes in the oven.
- Letting the casserole rest is not optional because it firms up into clean sliceable portions.
03 -
- Shred cheddar from a block yourself because pre shredded bags contain starch that blocks smooth melting.
- A thin layer of noodles on the very bottom keeps the cream mixture from sticking to the dish.