Ground Beef Casserole

This Ground Beef Casserole (often known as “Walking Lasagna” or “Sour Cream Noodle Bake”) is the ultimate retro comfort food. The combination of tender egg noodles, a tangy cream cheese layer, and a savory tomato-beef sauce creates a multi-textured dish that is much easier to assemble than a traditional lasagna. Simmering the sauce with a touch of sugar helps cut the acidity of the tomato, resulting in a mellow, kid-friendly flavor profile.

Ground Beef Casserole

Ingredients:

How to Make Ground Beef Casserole:

Step 1: Brown the Beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until fully browned and crumbly. Drain the excess grease to ensure the casserole isn’t oily.

Step 2: Simmer the Sauce: Stir in the garlic salt, salt, and both cans of tomato sauce. Mix well and let it simmer on low for about 20 minutes. Once finished, remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Step 3: Boil the Noodles: While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the egg noodles until al dente (usually 1/2 minutes less than the package instructions). Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and prevent them from getting mushy in the oven.

Step 4: The Creamy Layer: In a mixing bowl, blend the diced onion, sour cream, and cream cheese until smooth.

Tip: For the smoothest texture, make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing. If it’s too cold, you’ll end up with little white lumps in your sauce!

Step 5: Layer and Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a greased 9×13-inch dish, layer half of the noodles, half of the sour cream mixture, and half of the beef sauce. Repeat the layers one more time. Top with a generous sprinkle of Cheddar cheese.

Step 6: Final Bake: Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and the edges are starting to brown.