Beef and Noodle Bake

A classic, comforting casserole featuring seasoned ground beef and egg noodles baked in a rich tomato sauce with a creamy cottage cheese layer and melted mozzarella. It's a satisfying, calorie-conscious, and nutritious meal, perfect for a family dinner.

• Prep: 25 min
• Cook: 45 min
• Total: 1 hr 10 min
• Servings: 8
• Cuisine: American
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: $4.91/serving

Dietary

• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• High-Protein

Tags

• one-pot
• bake
• comfort food
• savory
• classic
• crowd-pleaser

Ingredients

• 2 pound ground beef (80/20)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (medium, diced)
• 3 clove garlic (minced)
• 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
• 15 ounce tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
• 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon salt (divided)
• 12 ounce egg noodles
• 3 cup cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 0.25 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
• 8 ounce mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• 5 ounce mixed green salad
• 0.25 cup Italian dressing (light)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
2. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced yellow onion and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Add ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned. Drain any excess fat.
4. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, dried oregano, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and let it gently simmer while you prepare the noodles and cheese mixture.
5. While the sauce simmers, add wide egg noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
6. In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, chopped fresh parsley, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well.
7. To assemble the bake: Layer half of the cooked noodles over the beef and tomato sauce mixture in the skillet. Spread the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with the remaining noodles. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.
8. Cover the skillet with a lid or foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
9. Serve individual portions of the beef and noodle bake with a side of mixed green salad, dressed with light Italian dressing.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 612
• Protein: 52.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 46.5 g
• Fat: 24.3 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Sodium: 860 mg
• Saturated Fat: 11.2 g
• Sugar: 8.1 g
• Cholesterol: 139 mg