Ingredients:
Meat and Aromatics
01 – 450g ground beef
02 – 1 small sweet onion, finely diced
03 – 2 cloves garlic, minced
Sauce Base
04 – 425g tomato sauce
05 – ½ teaspoon salt
06 – ½ teaspoon black pepper
Pasta and Dairy
07 – 340g egg noodles
08 – 340g small curd cottage cheese
09 – 175g sour cream
10 – ½ teaspoon salt
11 – ½ teaspoon black pepper
12 – ½ teaspoon garlic powder
13 – ½ teaspoon onion powder
14 – 225g shredded Colby Jack cheese
Directions:
01 – Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spray a 23×33 cm (9×13 inch) baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
02 – In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and onion. Break the beef into crumbles and cook until no pink remains and the onion has softened, 8-10 minutes.
03 – Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 – While the sauce simmers, cook the egg noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly.
05 – In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until well incorporated.
06 – Add the drained noodles to the cream mixture and toss until the noodles are evenly coated.
07 – Spread half of the coated noodles into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the meat sauce, then sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese.
08 – Layer the remaining noodles, then the remaining sauce, and finish with the remaining cheese.
09 – Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until heated through and the cheese is completely melted and slightly golden. Serve immediately.
Notes:
01 – This casserole can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated before baking. Add an extra 10 minutes to the baking time if cooking from cold.
