Recipe: Blue Plate Noodle Beef and Cheese Casserole

BLUE PLATE NOODLE BEEF AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

1/2 pound egg noodles, cooked according to package directions, drained
6 green onions (white part and some of the green), chopped
2 pounds ground beef round
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can each: crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt; freshly ground pepper, hot red pepper sauce
3/4 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (8 ounce) package regular or reduced-fat cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container regular or reduced-fat sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss noodles and onions together in large mixing bowl.

Combine beef and garlic in a large skillet, breaking up the meat; cook over moderate heat until it's no longer pink.

Drain fat; add tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, and salt, pepper and red pepper sauce to taste. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes; remove from heat.

Combine all but about 1 cup of the Cheddar, cream cheese and sour cream in a large mixing bowl until well blended.

Spoon one-third of the meat sauce over the bottom of a greased 2 1/2-quart casserole, layer half the noodles and half the cheese mixture over the top, then repeat the procedure once more. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle reserved 1 cup Cheddar evenly over the sauce.

Bake till bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Servings: 8
Source: Crazy for Casseroles by James Villas