Back to School Pasta Bake

This school year, I am hoping to expand my recipe catalog, so I am mixing it up (literally! get it?) by serving up some new dishes for the family.

Here is one we tried last week from Gooseberry Patch. Don't they just have the best recipes?

I was a little fearful of this one because it sounded too simple to be any good, but I trusted that the ladies at Gooseberry Patch would not steer me wrong and I am so glad I did!

Here is the recipe as I have adapted it. As always, the printable version is linked in the title.


Back to School Past Bake

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, well softened
1-1/2 C. sour cream
3 T. onion or more (sweet onions would be divine in this!)
12 oz pkg. egg noodles, boiled almost all the way.
2 lbs ground beef, browned
3 6 oz cans of tomato paste, or equivalent
2 C water
2 tsp sugar
2tsp salt, plus a lot more, to your own taste
freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Garnish with Parmesan or Romano cheese


Blend cream cheese, sour cream and onion; stir in cooked noodles. Place in an ungreased 3 qt. casserole dish; set aside. Combine beef, salt, tomato paste, water, sugar and pepper in a saucepan; heat thoroughly. Pour over noodles; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

note:
The original recipe called for fully cooked noodles and baking the dish for 45 minutes, but I find this makes noodles intolerably soft, so I have reduced the cooking times on them. You can decide what works best for you.

Do not fall into the temptation to season this as you would a baked spaghetti. It is not the same dish.