Kodiak Casserole

This rugged casserole packs some unexpected ingredients into a single dutch oven. Ground beef gets browned with onions and garlic, then mixed with egg noodles, green olives (brine and all), barbecue sauce, picante sauce, and condensed tomato soup. The whole thing bakes covered until it’s bubbling, then gets a blanket of shredded cheddar right before serving.

What makes this one different from your standard beef noodle bake is the olive brine. Leaving the olives undrained adds a salty, tangy punch to the sauce that plays off the sweetness of the barbecue sauce. The mushrooms go in undrained too, so the liquid keeps everything from drying out during that hour in the oven.

Don’t skip the celery and green peppers. They hold their crunch through the long bake and give you texture against the soft noodles and melted cheese.

Pro Tips

• Drain the ground beef well after browning. The sauce already has plenty of liquid from the olive brine, mushroom liquid, and three sauces.
• Cook the egg noodles just shy of done. They’ll absorb liquid and soften further during baking.
• Add the cheddar after removing from the oven, not before. This keeps the cheese melty and stretchy instead of dried out and crusty.

Variations

• Swap ground beef for ground turkey and use turkey-friendly barbecue sauce for a lighter version.
• Add a layer of sliced jalapenos before the cheese for extra heat.
• Use rotini or penne instead of egg noodles for a sturdier bite.