Ground Beef Casserole

This ground beef casserole has a lot more going on than the name suggests. It’s layered like a lasagna, with noodles mixed into a creamy cottage cheese and sour cream base alternating with a seasoned beef and tomato sauce. Then there’s cabbage in the mix, which gives it that unmistakable Eastern European vibe.

The noodle layer is where the magic lives. Cottage cheese, sour cream, chopped scallions, and barely cooked cabbage get tossed with the cooked noodles before layering. That combination creates a rich, tangy, slightly sweet base that contrasts beautifully with the savory meat sauce on top.

Building the casserole in alternating layers means every forkful gets a bit of everything: noodles, meat, cheese, cabbage. Finish with the meat layer on top and a blanket of shredded cheddar that melts into a bubbly, golden cap.

Kitchen Tips

• Barely cook the cabbage. It should still have some crunch when it goes into the noodle mixture. It softens further during the 30 to 45 minutes of baking.
• Drain the ground beef well after browning. Excess grease makes the casserole oily and the tomato sauce won’t cling properly.
• Use full-fat cottage cheese and sour cream. Low-fat versions release too much water during baking and make the casserole watery.
• Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes after pulling it from the oven. The layers set up and hold together better when you scoop.

Variations

• Unstuffed cabbage roll: Think of this as a deconstructed cabbage roll. Add a pinch of caraway seeds to the meat sauce to push that flavor even further.
• Mexican twist: Swap the tomato sauce for enchilada sauce, use pepper jack instead of cheddar, and skip the cabbage for a Tex-Mex spin.