The Best Casserole Dinner Recipe (2024)

Published: May 1, 2011 · Modified: Apr 29, 2020 by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comforting and delicious, this Good Dinner casserole is the best recipe to keep on hand. It’ll be done in under an hour and guaranteed to fill you up! Layers of creamy cheese, rich tomato sauce and beef make this pasta dish one the whole family is going to love.

I tend to gravitate toward making food that I know will photograph well. Colorful food is pretty, and pretty photos are fun to gaze at. But what about food that doesn’t necessarily look beautiful, yet tastes great? Well, I say all types of food deserve a chance to shine! This recipe (which comes from The Big Book of Easy Suppers, by the way) was titled well because it is good! And really, tasting good is all that matters, right? Well, unless all you want to do is look at pretty photos of food.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook 12 ounces (4 cups) of egg noodles according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, combine:

1 pound ground beef (I used venison to make it leaner, considering all the cheese that is about to come)

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

Cook until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Stir in 1 can (15 ounces) of tomato sauce and simmer for several minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream (or plain nonfat yogurt for a healthier option)

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the cooked egg noodles (or, um, elbow macaroni, if you happened to grab the wrong thing at the store) in a lightly sprayed 3- to 4-quart casserole dish and toss with 2 tablespoons of butter.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the noodles in an even layer.

Top that with the meat mixture from the skillet.

Top with 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese.

Bake, covered, in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 35 minutes.

See? It’s not beautiful. But it’s totally yummy.

Good Casserole

The title says it all! (source: The Big Book of Easy Suppers by Maryana Vollstedt)

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Ingredients

▢ 12 oz. egg noodles 4 cups, cooked according to package directions and drained
▢ 2 tbsp. butter at room temperature
▢ 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
▢ 1 cup cottage cheese
▢ 1/2 cup sour cream or plain nonfat yogurt
▢ 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
▢ 3/4 tsp. salt
▢ freshly ground pepper to taste
▢ 1 lb. ground beef
▢ 1 cup yellow onion chopped
▢ 1 garlic clove minced
▢ vegetable oil as needed
▢ 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
▢ 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place noodles while still warm in a lightly sprayed or oiled 3- to 4-quart casserole and toss with butter. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper. Spread mixture over the noodles.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, combine beef, onion and garlic and sauté, breaking up meat with a spoon, until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Add a little oil if needed. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer several minutes. Pour over the noodles and top with cheese; do not mix. Bake, covered, until bubbly, about 35 minutes.

Nutrition

Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!

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Comments

Megan Porta
May 12, 2015 at 2:05 am
Hi Jackie! I am so happy to hear that you and your husband liked this recipe! It's delicious, isn't it?! Great call on the shredded Parmesan. I hope your "bad casserole" tasted great, too. 🙂
Megan
Reply
Jackie M.
May 12, 2015 at 1:59 am
I made this tonight and my husband was amused by its name (I told him we were having Bad Casserole tomorrow night). We both loved it though! Very fun and lasagna-ish, without all the layers and hassle. I added a little shredded Parmesan to the cheese mixture because I had a few tablespoons I needed to use soon, and that was good too. Great comfort food, and not ultra heavy! Awesome! 🙂
Reply
Megan Porta
December 09, 2014 at 1:26 am
Hi Valeigh! You could just omit the cottage cheese or try adding a bit of greek yogurt in place of it. Let me know what you try! Good luck!
Megan
Reply
Valeigh
December 08, 2014 at 2:37 pm
What can I use instead of cottage cheese?
See Also
The BEST Swedish Meatballs in Brown Gravy Recipe | Little Spice Jar
Reply
Peggy
January 28, 2013 at 4:31 pm
We thought this casserole was rich and decadent, in the same way as lasagna is. A real hit at our house and we'll definitely make it again. So-o-o easy and made with items we have on hand.
Reply
Gini
February 03, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Can't wait to try this one. How many does it feed?
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The Mom Chef: Taking on Magazines
May 05, 2011 at 4:31 pm
I did make this, have a look at my version. 🙂
Reply
Kate @ Diethood
May 03, 2011 at 3:02 am
Wow, this looks gorgeous!! And delicious, of course! I make a lot of food that is soooo good, but does not photograph well. 🙂
Reply
Kelly
May 03, 2011 at 12:42 am
This looks delicious, I love casseroles! Looking forward to trying this myself! 🙂
Reply
lindsey
May 02, 2011 at 10:37 pm
that looks awesome!…and super fattening, but this will definitely be on our menu soon. thanks for the cookbook recommendation, too!
Reply
The Mom Chef: Taking on Magazines
May 02, 2011 at 10:01 pm
I beg to differ. I think it's absolutely beautiful. So beautiful that i'll be making it for my family very. If I hadn't already promised them another dish, it would be tonight. Many thanks for sharing this.
Reply
Magic of Spice
May 02, 2011 at 8:46 pm
I think you did one amazing job photographing a less photographic dish…wonderful recipe as well!
And I agree, some foods don't photograph as well as others, but it does not mean they don't deserve a spot light 🙂 Really nice!
Reply
Vicki @ Wilde in the Kitchen
May 02, 2011 at 12:55 pm
I guess its not the most beautiful food in the world, but the flavors sound dead on! Besides, I love a good casserole.
Reply
Blog is the New Black
May 01, 2011 at 10:31 pm
Looks wonderful! I hate when I have something delicious but the pics don't make it look appetizing!
Reply
Biren @ Roti n Rice
May 01, 2011 at 8:06 pm
This looks wonderfully tasty and comforting! It's been a cold weekend here in MN and this will definitely be welcomed at our house.
Reply
cooking rookie
May 01, 2011 at 8:00 pm
I think my boyfriend will love this. I'm keeping this recipe! Thank you!
Reply
Chef Dennis
May 01, 2011 at 3:23 pm
what a beautiful casserole!! grat job keeping it light with the cottage cheese and yogurt!
I agree its best to make foods that look more appealing and photograph well, we do eat with our eyes!
Cheers
Dennis
Reply
Farrah
May 01, 2011 at 2:45 pm
That actually looks pretty darn tasty if you ask me! Your photography is amazing. If only I had your skills with the camera! *jealous*
Reply
Parsley Sage
May 01, 2011 at 2:38 pm
Very nice! Easy and delicious and I think it looks great! Totally holds it on against pictures of perfect macarons and fancy gin drinks 🙂 Well done!
Reply