Description
Hearty Husband’s Delight casserole brings comfort straight from Midwestern kitchens, blending creamy textures with savory ground beef and noodle layers. Simple ingredients and nostalgic flavors invite home cooks to savor this satisfying family-style dish that promises warmth and deliciousness.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 pound (454 grams) ground beef
- 3 ounces (85 grams) cream cheese
Dairy:
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) sour cream
- 2 cups (226 grams) grated cheddar cheese
Seasonings and Other Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 white onion (chopped)
- 12 ounces (340 grams) egg noodles
- 1 24-ounce (680 grams) jar marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F, ensuring optimal temperature for a perfectly baked casserole.
- Boil salted water in a large pot and cook noodles until achieving al dente texture. Drain and lightly coat with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Heat skillet over medium temperature, thoroughly brown ground beef. Season with garlic salt and optional red pepper flakes for enhanced flavor profile.
- Incorporate marinara sauce into cooked beef, allowing mixture to simmer for 10 minutes to develop robust flavors.
- Create creamy layer by blending sour cream, cream cheese, and finely chopped onion until smooth and well-integrated.
- Prepare a greased 9×13-inch baking dish by layering half the noodles as foundation. Distribute meat sauce evenly across noodle base.
- Gently spread sour cream mixture over meat sauce, maintaining consistent coverage. Top with remaining noodles.
- Generously sprinkle grated Cheddar cheese across the entire casserole surface, ensuring complete coverage.
- Bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes until cheese melts and develops golden bubbling texture.
- Allow casserole to rest 5-10 minutes after removing from oven, enabling flavors to settle and facilitating easier serving.
Notes
- Customize protein choices by swapping ground beef with ground turkey, chicken, or plant-based crumbles for a lighter or vegetarian version.
- Control sodium levels by using low-sodium marinara sauce and reducing garlic salt to accommodate heart-healthy diets.
- Enhance nutrition by adding sautéed vegetables like spinach, zucchini, or bell peppers between layers for extra vitamins and fiber.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 574
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1085 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 109 mg