Some days you just want comfort food. This side dish is perfect because it’s warm and cozy and comes together fast. Even better, it is a fabulous take-along for any potluck. This dish uses cottage cheese (a great protein) and sour cream, which is processed in a blender until smooth, as the sauce for creamy Fideo noodles. So while it has great flavor, it will please even the picky eaters. It can be prepared the night before and baked the day of for an easy accompaniment to any table.
What are Fideo Noodles?
Fideo (pronounced fee-DAY-ohs) is Spanish for noodles. It is a thin pasta that comes in loopy nests or broken into short pieces. The noodles are made from durum wheat and water and range in thickness from the thin diameter of angel hair pasta to the diameter of a thick spaghetti noodle.
While fideo noodles are usually in the pasta aisle of the grocery store, they can sometimes also be found in the ethnic section for less money. Look for the Goya or La Moderna brands. If you purchase the fideo coils, break them into pieces before cooking.
Baking Dish Sizes
Whether you prefer ceramic, glass, or metal, baking dishes are a staple in the kitchen. But they can be confusing as well—the recipe calls for the standard 9″ x 13″ dish, but your favorite baking dish is oval rather than rectangle? You can easily substitute by knowing the capacity the dish holds.
The two most common sizes are:
- 8″ or 9″ square which holds 1-1/2 quarts.
- 9″ x 13″ which holds 3 quarts.
You can determine the capacity of any dish by pouring water into it. I do this by the pint since 3 pints is 1-1/2 quarts and 6 pints is 3 quarts. The water should come to about 1/2″ below the rim when measuring. This tip will help you select the correct container. Using a baking dish that is too large will throw off the cooking time and could adversely affect the food by making it too thin (think flat brownies).
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Creamy Fideo Noodles
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: baked
Description
A favorite creamy side dish that features fideo noodles and a sauce composed of sour cream and protein-rich cottage cheese. Easy to prepare, great for potlucks, and a favorite of even the pickiest of eaters!
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
- 7 ounces fideo noodles
- 8 ounces cottage cheese
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced both white and green parts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a ceramic, glass, or metal 1-1/2 quart baking dish (about 8″ or 9″ square).
- Heat water in a medium saucepan. Add the chicken boullion powder to the water and bring to a boil.
- If using fideo coils, break into pieces. Add noodles to boiling water and turn heat down so water is simmering. Stir to distribute the noodles. Simmer for 9 minutes or until noodles are al dente.
- Meanwhile, process sour cream and cottage cheese in a blender until there are no curds remaining and the mixture is smooth.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sour cream and cottage cheese mixture with the diced onions, green onions, garlic powder, and white pepper. Stir until ingredients are all combined.
- When the noodles are cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and set aside to thin the sauce as needed.
- Drain the noodles through a fine strainer. Add the cooked noodles to the creamy mixture in the bowl and carefully stir to combine.
- If the noodles seem to need more liquid to be fully coated with sauce, add the reserved broth, a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is creamy but not swimming in liquid.
- Taste to makes sure seasoning is correct. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt if needed.
- Transfer noodles to the prepared baking dish.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until firm.
- Serve warm.
Notes
If preparing this recipe ahead, don’t preheat the oven and refrigerate after step 10. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 35-40 minutes.
This recipe can easily be a vegetarian dish. Substitute vegetable bouillon (Knorr makes one I really like), or the Better Than Boullion base. If using the Better Than Boullion base, start with 1-1/2 tablespoons of the base in the water as it tends to taste stronger than the bouillon powder. You may need to bump up the garlic powder and salt once everything is combined to your liking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
I love the creamy sauce on this dish! Add parmesan and you have an easy alfredo taste.
What are the advantages of using Fideo noodles? Why would I choose them over other noodles?
Fideo noodles are made differently than Italian noodles——the dry pasta is cooked in a flavorful liquid which allows the noodles to soak up the flavors. You also cook the noodles past the al dente stage (with the additional baking). Substituting angel hair pasta, which is the closest in noodle diameter, would turn mushy between the two cooking methods. It is worth it to seek out Fideo noodles and as an added bonus, they are generally cost less.