Beef and Eggnoodles

Perfect for a rainy day, this comfort food hits the spot.  Mom made casseroles a lot. This one brings back fond memories of her.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 24 ½ ozs diced tomatoes
• 2 T fresh basil, shredded
• 2 T garlic, minced
• 1 T fresh oregano 
• 6 oz tomato paste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ½ t fresh thyme
• 8 oz sour cream 
• 3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 c monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 c Parmesan cheese
• 1 c mozzarella cheese shredded 1 pkg egg noodles

Lightly grease a 13” X 9” baking dish and set aside.

Place ground beef and onions in a large skillet over medium and cook for eight minutes and drain. To the beef mixture, stir in diced tomatoes, basil, garlic, oregano, tomato paste, salt, pepper and thyme.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare egg noodles according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Stir together hot, drained, cooked noodles, sour cream, and cream cheese until combined.

Spoon egg noodle mixture into prepared dish. Top with beef mixture.  Sprinkle with cheeses in order listed.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for half an hour. Then uncover and bake five more minutes.