Beef & Cheese Noodle Bake (Husband’s Delight)

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Husband's Delight (Beef & Cheese Pasta Bake)

 

This recipe has been around for years and is a simple, yummy comfort dish that is loved by kids and adults alike (thus the name “husband’s delight”).

I make my version of husband’s delight with a few twists that I think kicks the recipe up a notch. The original recipe is below, but I make the following substitutions:

I substitute The Fresh Market pizza sauce for regular tomato sauce. TFM pizza sauce is essentially tomato sauce with garlic and a few other seasonings. Whereas tomato sauce tastes bland and “tomatoey,” the pizza sauce tastes great right out of the can.

For traditional egg noodles, I use No Yolks, which I think have a better, firmer texture. Husband’s delight is usually made with egg noodles, but my kids prefer macaroni pasta, so I substitute macaroni when I have it on hand.

For the cheddar, I use extra sharp–either Cracker Barrel Vermont white or Cabot seriously sharp. I think it makes this dish more tasty and “grown up.” To add a final bit of pizzaz, I sprinkle a bit of Parmesan (fresh–not canned) on top before baking.

Whether you make the original version or my slightly doctored version, you can’t go wrong with this dish. It keeps for several days in the fridge, reheats beautifully, and freezes well. Paired with a salad and crusty French bread, husband’s delight is a wonderful solution for a busy weeknight meal.

Beef & Cheese Noodle Bake (AKA Husband’s Delight)

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/4 pound ground chuck
  • 1 can 15-ounces tomato sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces medium egg noodles (may also use macaroni pasta)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1-1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions
  • 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Brown ground chuck in a large skillet.  Drain fat.
  3. Add tomato sauce, salt and black pepper. Stir and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
  4. Cook pasta or egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  5. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
  6. Add sour cream mixture to noodles & green onions and stir. This is your noodle mixture.
  7. To assemble, layer half of noodle mixture in bottom of a baking dish. Top with half the meat, and then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar.
  8. Repeat with noodle mixture, meat, then a final layer of cheese.
  9. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

 

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