Cheesy Beef Cottage Bake A HighProtein Midweek Marvel

Beef Cottage Cheese Pasta Bake

0.0 / 5 (0 Review)

Preparation time:20 Mins

Cooking time:40 Mins

Servings:6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 large Onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 lb Lean Ground Beef (85/15 recommended)
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Dried Basil
• 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (8 oz) can Tomato Sauce (or passata)
• Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
• 12 oz Short Pasta (e.g., Penne or Ziti)
• 16 oz Cottage Cheese (2% or full-fat)
• 1 large Egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for topping
• 2 tbsp fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Boil pasta in heavily salted water until al dente (about 1-2 minutes shy of package directions). Drain well and set aside.
• Make the Ragu: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Add ground beef to the pan. Break it up and brown thoroughly. Drain off any excess fat.
• Stir in oregano, basil, red pepper flakes (if using), diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook gently for 10 minutes.
• Prepare Filling: While the sauce simmers, combine the cottage cheese, beaten egg, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Stir until well incorporated.
• Assemble: In the large pot (or directly in the baking dish), combine the drained pasta with about two-thirds of the beef ragu. Mix gently to coat.
• Spread the pasta mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Spoon the remaining beef ragu over the top. Dot spoonfuls of the cottage cheese mixture randomly over the beef layer.
• Top the dish with the shredded mozzarella and a final dusting of Parmesan cheese.
• Bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, golden brown, and the edges are bubbling.
• Rest the bake on the counter for 10 minutes before slicing and serving to allow it to set.

Nutrition Facts

Calories	2345 kcal
Protein	25.6 g
Fat	48.0 g
Carbs	59.8 g
Fiber	28.4 g
Sodium	711 mg

Recipe Info

Category	Main Course, Casserole
Cuisine	American

The Secret to Next-Level Weeknight Comfort: Introducing Our Unique Bake

As a food enthusiast, I’ve always believed that the best meals are those that offer maximum reward for minimal fuss, especially when the clock is ticking on a busy weeknight. Forget the notion that comfort food has to mean hours spent layering complicated sauces; we’re about to revolutionize your dinner rotation with a dish that is both deeply satisfying and surprisingly swift: the Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Pasta Bake . This recipe is a masterful blend of tender pasta, savoury ground beef cooked in a rich tomato embrace, and a creamy binding agent that sets it apart from every casserole you’ve had before. It’s hearty, packed with protein, and delivers that wonderful, bubbly, golden-crusted experience we all crave after a long day.

Why This Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Pasta Bake Redefines Casserole Classics

We are not just making another pasta bake; we are crafting a truly memorable experience that honors classic structure while introducing vibrant, modern flavour twists. This Healthy Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Bake shines precisely because it swaps out heavy cream sauces for a cleaner, tangier profile. It offers the robust texture of your favourite Hamburger Cottage Cheese Recipes but elevates the entire profile through strategic ingredient pairing.

Elevating the Humble Bake with Tangy Protein Power

The inclusion of cottage cheese is the cornerstone of this dish’s success. While many associate bakes with heavy cheese layers, here, the cottage cheese provides a moist, slightly acidic counterpoint to the richness of the beef and tomato base. This infusion means you are effortlessly boosting the nutritional profile of your meal, landing squarely in the realm of Healthy Dinner Recipes High Protein . It transforms what might otherwise be a simple pasta and meat mixture into something truly substantial.

The Quick Culinary Hug Your Family Craves

One of the greatest appeals of this Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Noodle Casserole is its speed. With only about 20 minutes of active prep time—sautéing the beef, boiling the pasta, and whisking the creamy binder—you can have this dish assembled and sliding into the oven in under 30 minutes. This efficiency makes it an ideal candidate for those nights when you need delicious Leftover Ground Beef Recipes Healthy solutions that don't taste like leftovers.

Decoding the Magic: Cottage Cheese as Your Secret Sauce

Many home cooks shy away from cottage cheese in baked pasta dishes, fearing a grainy texture. However, when properly combined with an egg and Parmesan, it yields a texture closer to a smooth ricotta mixture, perfectly coating the pasta and meat. This technique is what separates this dish from standard Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Casserole variations; it ensures every bite of pasta and beef is enveloped in a delicious, protein-rich blanket. It’s a concept we see echoed in the structure of a comforting Cottage Cheese Meatloaf , but adapted here for pasta perfection.

Assembling Your Pantry for This Hearty Pasta Creation

To ensure a seamless cooking process for this Pasta And Ground Beef Recipes Healthy marvel, preparation is key. Our core components revolve around a flavourful beef ragu, the pasta backbone, and that essential tangy filling. For the ragu, we start with one pound of lean ground beef (85/15 is ideal to retain flavour without excessive grease), sautéed alongside a diced large onion and two minced cloves of garlic until fragrant. This foundation is built upon with one 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes and an 8-ounce can of smooth tomato sauce or passata. Don’t forget the essential seasonings: a teaspoon of dried oregano, half a teaspoon of dried basil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.

The pasta component calls for 12 ounces of a short shape—think penne, ziti, or medium shells—as these shapes are perfect for capturing both the meat sauce and the creamy cottage cheese elements.

Finally, the creamy binder requires 16 ounces of cottage cheese (I recommend 2% or full-fat for the best flavour payoff), one large egg for stabilization, a half-cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and a touch of fresh parsley for brightness.

Essential Tools for Perfect Baking Consistency

The right equipment makes all the difference between a chaotic cooking session and a smooth assembly line. You'll need a large saucepan or Dutch oven for developing the deep flavours of the beef ragu and a separate large pot for boiling your pasta.

The final assembly happens in a standard 9x13 inch baking dish, providing ample surface area for that perfect golden crust. A colander is essential for draining the pasta thoroughly, and a simple mixing bowl will suffice for creating that phenomenal cheesy filling.

The Ground Beef Layer: Flavor Foundations and Seasoning

The success of any layered bake hinges on the richness of its foundational sauce. When browning your Hamburger Meat Recipes With Cottage Cheese , ensure the beef is cooked until no pink remains and, crucially, drain off any rendered fat thoroughly. This step is non-negotiable for avoiding a watery final product. After browning, simmering the beef with the tomatoes, herbs, and spices for about ten minutes allows the oregano and basil to bloom, deepening the umami profile before it meets the pasta.

Selecting the Ideal Pasta Shape for Maximum Sauce Adhesion

The texture of the pasta plays a vital role in how well this Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Bake holds together. We favour short, tubular, or cupped shapes like penne or shells because their interior cavities and ridges trap the meat sauce and the creamy cottage cheese elements simultaneously. This ensures that every forkful delivers a balanced mix of all components, rather than having slippery, unadorned pasta sliding across the plate.

Dairy Decisions: Choosing the Right Cottage Cheese Blend

When choosing your cottage cheese, remember that full-fat or 2% varieties will melt and blend more seamlessly than non-fat versions, which can sometimes separate under high oven heat. The egg acts as an emufier here, but the fat content aids in achieving that luxurious mouthfeel.

If you are aiming for an exceptionally smooth texture, pung the cottage cheese in a food processor briefly before adding the egg will break down the curds beautifully.

Related Recipes Worth Trying

• Light Moist Cranberry Orange Cottage Cheese Muffins Recipe — Whip up these wonderfully moist Cranberry Orange Cottage Cheese Muffins Cottage cheese keeps them light and tenderperfect for a healthier breakfast treat
• Spiced Gingerbread Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Drizzle — Forget dry crusts This showstopping recipe guides you through making perfect Christmas cheesecake recipes with a crisp gingerbread base and creamy filling A...
• The NoRoll Sushi Cottage Cheese Bowl 15Min Lunch — Meet your new favourite lunch a High Protein Sushi Bowl made with seasoned cottage cheese Low carb and ready in 15 minutesall the flavour none of the fuss

Step-by-Step Mastery: Crafting the Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Pasta Bake

The journey to this delicious bake is wonderfully straightforward. First, set your oven temperature to 375° F ( 190° C) and lightly grease your 9x13 baking dish. Next, get your pasta cooking in heavily salted water. Remember, since it’s going back into the oven, undercook it slightly—about one or two minutes shy of the package's 'al dente' suggestion—and drain immediately.

While the pasta boils, you create the ragu. After sautéing your onion and garlic in olive oil, brown the ground beef, draining the fat away. Introduce the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, herbs, salt, and pepper, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer for ten minutes to concentrate the flavour.

Simultaneously, in a separate bowl, quickly combine the cottage cheese, lightly beaten egg, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper until everything is homogenous.

The Grand Finale: Achieving Golden Brown Perfection in the Oven

The assembly stage is where the magic happens. You need to distribute the components evenly to ensure structural integrity and flavour balance throughout the bake.

Building the Savory Meat Foundation First

Begin by taking the drained, slightly undercooked pasta and tossing it with about two-thirds of your rich, simmered beef ragu, ensuring every piece of pasta is nicely coated. Transfer this mixture to your prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. This pasta layer acts as the base, ready to absorb the surrounding moisture during baking.

The Critical Mixing Stage: Integrating Pasta and Cheesy Filling

Next, spoon the remaining beef ragu directly over the coated pasta base. Now, for the cottage cheese element: take spoonfuls of your cheesy mixture and dot them strategically across the top of the beef layer.

Resist the urge to smooth or spread this layer completely; leaving it in distinct dollops allows it to melt down into pockets of creamy tanginess, which is far more engaging than a completely uniform layer. Finish by generously sprinkling the entire surface with one cup of shredded mozzarella and an extra dusting of Parmesan cheese.

Baking Times and Temperature Tweaks for Optimal Melt

Place the assembled Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Pasta Bake into the preheated 375° F ( 190° C) oven. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes. You are looking for the unmistakable sign of a perfect bake: the edges should be bubbling robustly, and the mozzarella topping should be completely melted and achieving a beautiful, light golden-brown hue. Allowing the bake to rest on the counter for a crucial ten minutes after removing it from the oven allows the internal structure to set, making for cleaner, more satisfying slices.

Maximizing Flavor: Expert Tips and Recipe Variations

To truly master this comforting dish, a few expert flourishes can push the flavour profile even further. For instance, don't skip the resting period; that brief pause allows the residual heat to finish cooking the pasta gently without turning it mushy.

Also, remember that seasoning generously during the ragu-making stage is vital, as the pasta and dairy will absorb some of that initial saltiness.

Boosting Nutrition: Creative Vegetable Additions

This recipe is an excellent canvas for sneaking in extra vegetables. You can sauté finely diced mushrooms or shredded zucchini right alongside the onions in the initial step; simply ensure you squeeze out any excess moisture from the zucchini before adding it. For an extra layer of green, stirring in a cup of wilted, drained spinach into the cottage cheese mixture is a fantastic way to create a vibrant Healthy Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Bake .

Troubleshooting: Avoiding Dryness in Your Casserole

The primary pitfall in any bake is dryness, but our recipe accounts for this with the moist cottage cheese filling. If you suspect your leftover ragu is on the thicker side, add a splash of water or beef broth to the mixture during the final simmer to ensure there’s enough liquid to permeate the pasta during the final bake.

On top of that,, slightly undercooking the pasta is your best defense against a dry result.

Freezing and Reheating Instructions for Future Meals

This bake performs admirably as a make-ahead option. Assemble the entire casserole, cover it tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. If baking from cold, you may need to add 10– 15 minutes to the total cook time. For freezing, bake the dish completely, let it cool, and then cover tightly with plastic wrap followed by foil. When ready to enjoy those Leftover Ground Beef Recipes Healthy treasures, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat, covered, at 350° F ( 175° C) until heated through, perhaps adding a tablespoon of water or milk if the top looks a little dry.

Storing Leftovers of Your Delicious Bake

Once cooled, any remaining portions of this wonderful Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Casserole should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It keeps beautifully for 3 to 4 days, serving as a delicious lunch the next day or an easy secondary dinner. The flavours often deepen overnight, making those subsequent meals just as rewarding as the first!