8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup cottage cheese, at room temperature
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
½ cup diced onion
½ of a medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
¾ cup condensed tomato soup, not diluted
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley, basil, or other herbs
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside.
Cook noodles in a pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until just barely al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together softened cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and melted butter. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato soup, and Worcestershire sauce.
Place ½ of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with ½ of the cream cheese mixture and ½ of the meat mixture. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Top with shredded cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through.
Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired, and serve!
Notes
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Well-salted water is imperative for flavorful noodles.
Boil the pasta just until barely al dente (about 1 minute less than called for on the box). They will continue to cook in the oven, so you don’t want to end up with mushy, overdone noodles.
Bake the casserole just until it’s heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven until bubbly. Don’t bake it for too long or it may dry out or get burned on top.
Garnish the casserole with fresh herbs, such as chopped parsley, for a bright touch of flavor and color.
