½cupchopped cup oil-packed sundried tomatoesblotted dry
114 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
1teaspoondried oregano
½teaspoondried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1cupsour cream
2cupsgrated sharp cheddardivided
1cupgrated Monterey Jack or mozzarella
½cupgrated Parmesan
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch pan, or a shallow 2-quart baking dish, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook the noodles according to package directions, just until tender, and then drain and toss in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
While the noodles are cooking, spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray, then sauté the beef over medium heat until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Drain the beef and wipe out the skillet.
In the same skillet melt the remaining tablespoon butter over medium low heat and sauté the leeks for about 12 minutes until tender. Stir in the sundried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Add the drained beef, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking (there won’t be a lot of liquid, mostly vegetables), mix together the sour cream, 1 cup cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan in a large bowl. Add the warm buttered noodles and toss until well combined – the sour cream mixture is thick; just keep gently tossing until the sour cream mixture coats the noodles.
Turn the sauce into the bowl with the sour cream coated noodles and toss until just combined. Turn into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle over the remaining cup of cheddar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is melted and everything is hot and bubbly. Let sit for 5 minutes and then serve.
Notes
Play around with the ingredients in this beef noodle casserole. I have made this with ground beef and also a meatloaf mix, and I will definitely try it with ground turkey. My favorite broken record things to mention in any conversation about ground turkey (or other white meat)—when you use ground turkey try to find a 93/7 percent ratio which consists of a mix of white meat, and is richer and moister than 99% fat free turkey, of which I am not a big fan. A little more fat is a good thing.