I know that this is a classic midwest dish. My mom made it regularly when we were growing up. It was popular with us before it was even really popular. I changed it slightly to add more flavor in the sauce. I had tried fresh garlic in a few batches but it honestly is not very good. The garlic powder makes a difference.
1-1.5 pounds 80% ground beef
15 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper
1 green pepper, diced
8 ounces egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Cook the ground beef in a skillet (breaking it to small pieces) until done. Drain the meat. Replace in the pan with tomato sauce, garlic, green pepper, onion, salt and pepper. Cook while stirring often for about 20-30 minutes.
Boil water in a pot and cook the egg noodles. Drain when at desired texture. Place the noodles back in the pot. Stir in the cottage cheese, sour cream, and green onions.
Prepare a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Begin layering the meat, then noodles, the meat, etc. Make the final layer meat and then top with cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove the foil in the last 10 minutes of baking. Serve with french bread.
The Funky Oven 