Sour Cream Noodle Bake

The Sour Cream Noodle Bake is the ultimate comfort food and an easy weeknight dinner that my family loves. This easy and delicious one-pan recipe, reminiscent of the best Italian lasagna, will be ready and on the table in about 40 minutes.

three-quarters view of the lower right corner of a sour cream noodle casserole with a wooden spoon.

What’s in Beef Noodle Casserole?

The combination of flavorful ground beef, onions, garlic, and creamy sour cream is where this comfort food starts and just gets better with a tasty marinara sauce smothered in shredded cheese that melts to perfection in the 350-degree oven.

Egg Noodles: Egg noodles are thin, flat strips of pasta made from a mixture of wheat flour, water, and egg yolks. They have a soft and tender texture and a mild flavor that pairs well with the ingredients in this recipe.
Sour Cream: Tangy and creamy sour cream adds the perfect flavor and texture to this casserole.
Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese, made from curdled milk, is a low-fat alternative to ricotta cheese.
Chives: Chives are a type of herb related to onions and garlic. They have a mild onion flavor that is indispensable in this recipe.
Black Pepper: Black pepper always adds a pungent and slightly spicy flavor to any recipe.
Olive Oil: Olive oil is used in this recipe to sauté the onions and garlic before browning the ground beef.
Onion: White or yellow onions are good choices for adding incredible flavor to this recipe.
Garlic: Garlic and onions are a flavor marriage made in heaven and always bring out the best flavor in any Mediterranean-inspired dish.
Ground Beef: Not all ground beef is created equal. While more expensive, sustainably sourced, grass-fed tastes better and is better for you and the planet.
Marinara Sauce: While jars of store-bought marinara sauce are always good to have on hand in your pantry, for phenomenal, next-level flavor, you may want to make homemade for this recipe.
Cheese: While I prefer shredded mozzarella to take this recipe over the top, you can also use provolone or a combination of the two.

Variations on Ground Beef Casserole with Noodles

There are so many fun ways to change up this casserole to meet your family’s needs! You can swap the egg noodles for any short pasta shape, swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or sausage, swap the cottage cheese for ricotta, or swap the provolone for cheddar cheese.

Feel free to add chopped veggies, like green peppers or mushrooms, to this casserole by sautéing them with the onion in step 6.

To make this casserole vegetarian, swap the ground meat for meatless ground beef, tofu crumbles, or black beans. For a spicy casserole, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the ground beef as you cook it.

overhead view of ingredients for sour cream noodle casserole.

What’s in a sour cream noodle bake?

This creamy noodle bake features cooked egg noodles mixed with sour cream and cottage cheese and layered with cooked ground beef, onion, marinara sauce, and cheese. It’s similar in taste to lasagna but without all the hassle!

Can I use a different meat in this recipe?

Absolutely! Feel free to swap the ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, or pork; Italian sausage; meatless crumbles; crumbled tofu; or even black beans.

How can I add vegetables to this dish?

There are so many ways to sneak some veggies into this dish. Easily add diced peppers or mushrooms in with the onions, or purée some carrots or zucchini into the marinara sauce!

Can I make this casserole ahead of time?

Yes! You can fully assemble this casserole and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking it.

Can I freeze this casserole for later?

You sure can! Wrap the casserole tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

overhead view of sour cream noodle casserole with a wooden spoon in the lower right corner.

How to Store and Reheat a Noodle Bake with Sour Cream

Store leftover sour cream noodle bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes, or until warmed through.

How to Freeze Beef and Noodle Casserole

Freeze sour cream noodle bake tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

What to Serve with Noodle Casserole with Ground Beef

A plate or bowl of beef noodle casserole is a complete meal unto itself, but to take the dinner recipe up another notch, serve it up with some yummy homemade Dinner Rolls.

close up of a wooden spoon lifting a scoop of sour cream noodle casserole from a rectangular baking dish.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake Recipe

Sour Cream Noodle Bake is an easy, delicious, comforting, and 100% satisfying weeknight dinner recipe that tastes like lasagna. This one-pan recipe can be on the table in 40 minutes.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings

Calories 737kcal

Author Becky Hardin

Equipment

9×13 Baking Pan

Ingredients

12 ounces egg noodles (1 package)
1½ cups sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onion
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 pound 85% lean ground beef
24 ounces marinara sauce store-bought or homemade (1 jar)
2 cups shredded provolone cheese or mozzarella, divided
Chopped fresh parsley optional, for garnish

Instructions

Cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Drain, then return to the pot they cooked in.

12 ounces egg noodles
In a bowl, combine the sour cream, cottage cheese, chives, and a couple shakes of black pepper.

1½ cups sour cream, 1 cup cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped chives, Freshly ground black pepper
Add the sour cream mixture to the noodles and stir. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

1 tablespoon olive oil
Add in the onion and a sprinkle of salt, and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.

½ onion
Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.

3 cloves garlic
Add in the ground beef and cook for a few minutes until browned.

1 pound 85% lean ground beef
Stir in the marinara sauce.

24 ounces marinara sauce
Layer half of the noodles on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Top with half of the ground beef mixture and half of the shredded cheese.

2 cups shredded provolone cheese
Repeat with another layer of noodles, ground beef, and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Chopped fresh parsley

Notes

You can swap the egg noodles for any short-shaped noodle.
You can swap the cottage cheese for ricotta if you prefer.
Feel free to add diced veggies, like peppers or mushrooms, in with the onions.
You can swap the ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, meatless crumbles, crumbled tofu, or black beans.
Feel free to swap the provolone/mozzarella for sharp cheddar for a less traditional (but still delicious!) casserole.

Storage: Store sour cream noodle bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.