Poor Man’s Casserole

Total Time Prep: 20 min. Cook: 1 hr.
Yield 8 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
Don't let the name fool you—poor man's casserole is rich and luxurious.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces uncooked extra-wide egg noodles
  • 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tub (8 ounces) sour cream
  • 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or shredded cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°; grease a 13x9-in. baking dish.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add egg noodles; cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain; return to the pot.
  3. While the noodles cook, stir together softened cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl. Stir mixture into the pot with the hot, cooked noodles until completely coated; set aside.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add ground beef and onion. Cook 9-10 minutes or until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain off excess grease. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; cook 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in tomato sauce. Simmer 4-5 minutes; remove pan from the heat.
  5. To assemble the casserole, spread 1/3 of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the creamy noodles, spreading into an even layer. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheese over the top. Repeat layers, then spread the remaining meat sauce on top. Sprinkle the last 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and the Parmesan cheese on top.
  6. Bake 25-30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Transfer pan to a cooling rack or trivet. Top with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 614 calories, 37g fat (18g saturated fat), 162mg cholesterol, 1186mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 3g fiber), 32g protein.

Don't let the name fool you because poor man's casserole is actually rich and delicious! It has layers of creamy noodles, beef sauce and melted cheese. —Nancy Mock, Southbridge, Massachusetts
Recipe Creator
Community Cook

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