MARTHA’S COMPANY CASSEROLE

Did you grow up having a dish (or several) that you only associate with particular occasions? For some people it’s dishes that are mainly made around the holidays, but for others there are a myriad recipes made for certain events and get-togethers. For our family, it was Martha’s Company Casserole, and we had it almost every Wednesday night. Published in a 1958 publication of Good Housekeeping’s Casserole Book, Martha’s Company Casserole is a time-tested classic that we know lots of families added to their recipe arsenal.

Consisting mainly of pasta, beef and tomatoes, the real magic comes when you add in all the extras: cottage cheese (trust us, it’s delicious), cream cheese, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Yes, it’s a lot of dairy – fine by us, since this isn’t everyday fare – but it’s all so good when it’s mixed together, and the finished product is a creamy, cheesy, flavorful smorgasbord. It’s just so tasty!

While we don’t know the full reason behind the name, we can say this makes for an easy, delicious dinner to serve when you have friends over, especially if they too have fond memories of eating this while growing up. It immediately takes you back to sitting around the table with your family, so we love making it for our loved ones and building those memories in the present that we can look back on fondly down the line. Definitely a retro throwback, but absolutely still a keeper, everyone should try Martha’s Company Casserole and see how they like it!

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. egg noodles, cooked and drained
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 cup cottage cheese
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 375º F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
In a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat, sauté beef until browned and cooked through.
Drain fat, then stir in tomato sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and green onions.
Spread 1/2 cooked noodles into prepared baking dish, then top with cottage cheese mixture.
Cover with remaining noodles, then drizzle melted butter over the pasta.
Spread tomato beef mixture over noodles, then top with cheddar cheese.
Place baking dish in oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly, then remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.