Dairy Noodle Casserole

This is the kind of casserole that proves comfort food doesn’t have to mean heavy.

Egg noodles get tossed in a silky cornstarch-thickened milk sauce spiked with worcestershire, dry mustard, and just a pinch of cayenne for depth. Cottage cheese and yogurt add body without the usual cream or condensed soup, while mushrooms and minced onion give it substance.

A golden cap of sharp cheddar and toasted breadcrumbs seals in the creamy filling. Thirty minutes in the oven and you’ve got a bubbling pan that feeds eight without the food coma.

Chef Tips

• Use low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt to keep the dish lighter, but don’t go fat-free or the texture turns watery and bland
• Minced fresh parsley adds a bright herbal note. Don’t skip it or substitute dried, the fresh stuff makes a difference
• The sharp cheddar on top is marked optional but it’s really not. That tangy, melted cheese crust is half the appeal
• Let the casserole rest 5 minutes after baking so the sauce can set up and you don’t end up with a soupy mess on the plate