Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Anyone who knows my cooking and eating habits prior to 2005 probably won't believe that I made this, never mind enjoyed it!

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Servings: 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ease of difficulty: Easy
Variations: I prefer ricotta and had it on hand so I used that instead of cottage cheese. I've also heard it's great with cream cheese.
Source: Pioneer Woman

1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble*, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until all cheese is melted.

* I choose to combine everything (rather than layer)