Momma s Poor Man s Lasagne

1 (8 ounce) package wide noodles

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

¾ cup chopped sweet onion

1 (8 ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup small curd cottage cheese

¼ cup sour cream

½ cup chopped green onion

⅓ cup chopped green bell pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Boil the noodles until cooked through yet firm to the bite, about 5 minutes; drain.

Cook the ground beef and onions in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking the meat up into crumbles as it cooks, until the beef is completely browned, about 10 minutes. Mix in the tomato sauce; season with salt and black pepper.

Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Stir the cottage cheese, sour cream, green onion, and green pepper into the cream cheese.

Layer half the cooked noodles into the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with the cheese mixture, dropping it onto the noodles by spoonfuls and spreading over the noodles. Cover with the remaining half of the noodles, and spread the meat mixture on top in an even layer.

Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbly, about 40 minutes.