Description
Beef Lombardi Casserole is a hearty and comforting layered dish featuring seasoned ground beef, tender egg noodles mixed with a creamy blend of sour cream and cottage cheese, and topped with melted cheddar cheese. This oven-baked casserole is perfect for family dinners, combining robust tomato flavors with cheesy richness for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Mixture
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups canned tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Noodle Mixture
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 cup chopped green onions
Topping
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Cook Beef: In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until fully browned to ensure it is cooked through.
- Drain Fat: Drain excess fat from the skillet to avoid a greasy casserole.
- Season Beef: Season the browned beef with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, stirring well to combine all flavors.
- Simmer Sauce: Add chopped canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar to the beef mixture, then let it simmer for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Cook Noodles: While the beef simmers, boil the egg noodles in salted water according to package instructions until tender, then drain.
- Prepare Cream Mixture: In a separate bowl, mix together sour cream, cottage cheese, and chopped green onions thoroughly.
- Combine Noodles and Cream: Add the drained noodles to the sour cream mixture and stir to coat the noodles evenly.
- Layer Casserole (First Layer): In a 9×13 inch baking dish, spread half of the noodle mixture, then layer half of the meat mixture on top, and sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Layer Casserole (Second Layer): Repeat the layering with the remaining noodle mixture, meat mixture, and top with the remaining cup of cheddar cheese.
- Bake: Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving to let it set for easier slicing.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version.
- For extra flavor, add herbs like basil or oregano to the beef mixture.
- Use low-fat sour cream and cottage cheese to reduce calories and fat.
- Adding a bit of crushed red pepper can give the casserole a mild kick.
- Make sure to drain the noodles well to avoid excess moisture in the casserole.
