Budget Friendly Meal #5: Beef Noodle Bake

This is one of my mom's classic recipes. I have been eating this dish for close to 20 years and just updated it as a wheat (gluten) free dish. The kids were crazy about this. Served with a green salad, it is a complete meal for the entire family.

1 pound ground beef (organic or grass fed, if possible)

2 (2 oz) cans sliced mushrooms, drained

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

bag of noodles of your choice (brown rice fusili works well)

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup lowfat sour cream

1/2 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese

6 green onions, chopped

Cook & stir ground beef in a skillet until lightly browned. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar (optional), and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cook noodles and drain. (With rice noodles, I like to cook them until just al dente, as they will soften up when baked; approx. 1-2 minutes shy of suggested cooking time). Combine 3/4 of the green onions with cream cheese and sour cream. Blend well. In a greased 2 qt. casserole, evenly spread 1/3 of the noodles; top with 1/3 of beef mixture. Spread 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture over the top. (I drop small spoon fulls across the top and then lightly spread as much as possible. The heat from the noodles will help this process)> Repeat 2 times; top with the cheddar cheese and remaining green onions. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbling hot in the center, about 50 minutes if chilled or 35 minutes if not chilled.

Serve with a green salad and fruit. 6-8 servings. Source: Cici Wynn