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Beef Lombardi

By Diane Unger

Published on March 2, 2016

Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Beef Lombardi

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound 90-percent lean ground beef 1 onion, choppedSalt and pepper 3 tablespoons tomato paste 4 garlic cloves, minced3 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained12 ounces (7 ¾ cups) wide egg noodles 1 ¼ cups sour cream 4 ounces cream cheese, softened1 tablespoon cornstarch 4 scallions, sliced thin8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, ­shredded (2 cups)

Before You Begin

We prefer Ro-tel, but other brands of diced tomatoes with chiles can be used. Note the can size, though; if using 14.5-ounce cans, reduce the number of cans to 2. Our favorite egg noodles are Pennsylvania Dutch Wide Egg Noodles. In step 4, the pasta cooking water needs to be hot enough to melt the cream cheese. Colby Jack is a blend of Colby (which is similar to cheddar but with a milder flavor) and Monterey Jack cheeses.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until beef is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
  2. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until most liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Reserve 2 cups cooking water, then drain noodles.
  4. Whisk sour cream, cream cheese, cornstarch, and 1/2 cup reserved ­cooking water together in now-empty pot until smooth. Stir in scallions, noodles, remaining 1 1/2 cups cooking water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
  5. Spread noodle mixture in even layer in prepared baking dish. Spread beef mixture evenly over noodles. Sprinkle Colby Jack evenly over top. Bake until bubbling around edges and cheese is spotty brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve.
  6. to make ahead

  7. The casserole can be fully assembled minus the Colby Jack, cooled completely, covered, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. To serve, sprinkle with Colby Jack and increase baking time to 45 to 50 minutes.
Beef Lombardi

Beef Lombardi

Headshot of Diane Unger
By Diane Unger
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Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound 90-percent lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained
12 ounces (7 ¾ cups) wide egg noodles
1 ¼ cups sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 scallions, sliced thin
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, ­shredded (2 cups)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound 90-percent lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained
12 ounces (7 ¾ cups) wide egg noodles
1 ¼ cups sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 scallions, sliced thin
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, ­shredded (2 cups)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound 90-percent lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained
12 ounces (7 ¾ cups) wide egg noodles
1 ¼ cups sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 scallions, sliced thin
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese, ­shredded (2 cups)

Why This Recipe Works

This casserole—consisting of ground beef, canned chopped green chiles, and diced tomatoes sitting atop egg noodles and combined with sour cream and lots of cheese—originated in Mississippi. For our version, we created a flavorful meaty layer combining ground beef, onion, garlic, and spicy canned Ro-tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies. To prevent the noodle layer from overcooking, we parcooked the noodles for 3 minutes instead of fully cooking them. For a creamy, saucy texture, we turned to Colby Jack cheese and sour cream, and we mixed in some cream cheese and cornstarch to prevent the sour cream from breaking.

Before You Begin

We prefer Ro-tel, but other brands of diced tomatoes with chiles can be used. Note the can size, though; if using 14.5-ounce cans, reduce the number of cans to 2. Our favorite egg noodles are Pennsylvania Dutch Wide Egg Noodles. In step 4, the pasta cooking water needs to be hot enough to melt the cream cheese. Colby Jack is a blend of Colby (which is similar to cheddar but with a milder flavor) and Monterey Jack cheeses.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until beef is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
  2. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until most liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Reserve 2 cups cooking water, then drain noodles.
  4. Whisk sour cream, cream cheese, cornstarch, and 1/2 cup reserved ­cooking water together in now-empty pot until smooth. Stir in scallions, noodles, remaining 1 1/2 cups cooking water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
  5. Spread noodle mixture in even layer in prepared baking dish. Spread beef mixture evenly over noodles. Sprinkle Colby Jack evenly over top. Bake until bubbling around edges and cheese is spotty brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve.
  6. to make ahead

  7. The casserole can be fully assembled minus the Colby Jack, cooled completely, covered, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. To serve, sprinkle with Colby Jack and increase baking time to 45 to 50 minutes.

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