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Ground Beef Casserole

Seasoned meat, sauce, noodles, and three kinds of cheese are layered in a casserole dish and baked until bubbly!

Ingredients :

  • Meat Sauce
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 large white onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 15 ounces pasta sauce or tomato sauce
  • 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes with juices
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish if desired
  • Other
  • 12 ounces medium pasta such as rotini or penne
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or more to taste

Directions :

  • Cook beef, onion, and garlic in a large deeps skillet until no pink remains. Drain fat.
  • Break up the canned tomatoes with your hands. Add (including the juices) to the ground beef along with pasta sauce, sugar, and Italian seasoning.
  • Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in half of the parsley, taste, and season with salt & pepper.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain, do not rinse.
  • Mix sour cream, cottage cheese, egg, basil, remaining parsley, and grated parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
  • Add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
  • Layer half of the pasta, top with all sour cream mixture, the remaining pasta and the meat sauce.
  • Top with mozzarella cheese and cover.
  • Bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Rest 5 minutes before serving.