This weekend was full of fun things; drinks with friends, a trip to Mount Vernon to buy plants to replace all of the ones that died this winter from the extreme cold, attempts made to walk to Brenna outside in the sunshine, a bachelorette party at Bull Run Campground, baking a rustic peach pie, making many trips to different stores trying to find tapioca to bake a rustic peach pie, purchasing two new wall-mounted spice racks and a new silverware organizer in hopes of whipping my kitchen into shape, a huge batch of cornbread muffins to stash in the freezer for enjoyment over the next few weeks, this amazing book from my awesome neighbors to help me get through my recent job loss, and a wonderful dinner to finish off the weekend with a happy and full belly.
Last summer I made this Sour Cream Noodle Bake, which is a recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. For being such a simple recipe, it’s pretty yummilicious. It tastes as great reheated after being frozen as it does the first day, so I suggest throwing half of it unbaked into a disposable pie plate, wrapping it in foil, placing it into a large freezer bag, and freezing it for future use. Using a FoodSaver will help your frozen casserole stay free of freezer burn for an even lengthier amount of time in your freezer. I thawed my casserole for two days before baking, but you could just as easily bake it frozen, although it will take much longer. After such a long event-filled weekend, I was pretty darn happy to not have to worry about what was for dinner.
Sour Cream Noodle Bake Recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Suggestions:
- Make sure to use a good amount of salt and pepper in this recipe.
- The egg noodles are what really make this recipe; I wouldn’t suggest substituting any other type of pasta.
Improvements:
- Add finely minced or crushed garlic.
- Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg to the meat sauce.
- Add additional herbs to the sour cream and cottage cheese mixture, such as basil, oregano, or parsley.
- Add a couple of dashes of hot sauce to the sour cream and cottage cheese mixture.
- Try using different varieties of cheese in this dish, as well as increasing the amount of cheese. More cheese is always a good thing.
Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
-Colleen
