Jackie Kennedy’s Casserole Marie Blanche
First lady Jackie Kennedy is reported to have served this easy, delicious Casserole, Marie Blanche, during her time in the White House.
History of Casserole Marie Blanche
My Mom made this easy, tasty side dish at least once or twice a year. When I asked my Mom if she still had the recipe, she couldn’t find it.
I knew the basic recipe but could never find a reference for it online. It finally appeared in 2018.
In my research, I’ve found many stories. Mrs. Smith is the contributor on one site. Mrs. Fowler and family on another.
Most attribute it to Jacqueline Kennedy; the majority say she served it at a private dinner in 1961 for her brother-in-law and sister, Prince and Princess Radziwill.
Who knows, but it is good. What the real story is, the world may never know.
It is basically a slimmed-down version of the French dish that is covered in a white sauce.
What you need
- egg noodles – cooked in water or broth, according to package directions
- sour cream
- cottage cheese – 1 container
- salt and white pepper or black pepper
- butter
- fresh chives – snipped
How to Make Casserole Marie Blanche
- Boil egg noodles over medium heat according to the package directions. Drain.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
You can mix it in the casserole that you will bake it in, or add it to a large bowl to combine the noodles with the remaining ingredients. Then, pour the mixture into the casserole.
Dot the top with small pieces of butter. Bake at 350°F until the top is golden brown, and everything is bubbly! Serve immediately. This is definitely best served immediately. Leftovers tend to be a bit dry.
If you love easy, vintage casseroles like this, you’ll want to try this Spaghetti Casserole, made with leftover ham or turkey. Here’s another vintage recipe, these waffles were said to be JFK’s favorite breakfast.
Important Notes
The recipe card below has the original recipe and ingredients. Be sure to read the notes section. I’ve perfected the original recipe.
- I use only 1 pound of noodles instead of 1½ pounds.
- I increased both the cottage cheese and sour cream amounts to 2 cups each.
- Us 4% milk fat cottage cheese for the best flavor.
- The butter is generally over 1 tablespoon. Dot the top evenly with butter.
Optional ingredients and substitutions
- Sauté onion and substitute for chives
- Add broccoli, asparagus, or other green vegetables
- Sauté mushrooms and add to the mixture
- Cook noodles in chicken stock for extra flavor
- Add garlic powder or onion powder
- Sprinkle top with paprika just before serving
If you’re in the mood for something with a little more kick, this Mexican noodle casserole brings that same cozy feel with a bold, cheesy twist. If you love easy sides like this Casserole Marie Blanche, give this hashbrown casserole a try.
What Main Dishes to Serve with Casserole Marie Blanche
Other Vintage Recipes
If you enjoy recipes like this, here are a few more vintage favorites worth trying.
This vintage casserole Marie Blanche has a creamy, comforting taste
Vintage recipes are fun, aren’t they? I love finding the history of the foods we eat!
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Tools I Use to Make Casserole Marie Blanche
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Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Mrs. John F. Kennedy’s Casserole Marie Blanche
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound egg noodles, cooked and drained (original recipe : see important notes below!)
- 1 cup cream style cottage cheese (original recipe : see important notes below!)
- 1 cup sour cream (original recipe : see important notes below!)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/8 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/3 cup chive snipped or chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F Combine noodles, cottage cheese, sour cream. salt, pepper and chives. Pour into buttered 2 quart casserole and dot with the 1 tablespoon butter.
- Bake about 30 minutes, until noodles begin to brown and casserole is hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.
- See notes below for important notes. I increase the cheese and sour cream and decrease the noodles!
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Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published October 19, 2016. Updated May 11, 2024.
My mom used to make this, but she used poppy seeds. It was my favorite & I’m so glad I found this recipe!
Oooh! That sounds like a fun addition. I’ll have to try it next time I make it.
I made this tonight and added in shredded chicken. My girls loved it so much. They’re picky eaters lol. Thanks for the recipe
Thanks Piper! We’re so glad your picky girls like it!
This was so nostalgic for me, that was a bonus surprise! As I prepared it, it seemed so familiar. Then I remembered, my mother made something very similar, usually during Lent. I think she added an egg or couple to feed a family of 7. She was a Slovenian immigrant. I followed the recipe as written, with your tasty suggestion to increase the both sour cream & cottage cheese. And bought the highest quality small curd cottage cheese I could find. Subbed finely chopped green onions for chives, have them growing in my garden window. Excellent subtle onion flavor, rich creaminess without being overbearing. I may add an egg or just the yolk next time. A keeper & five stars from this home! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much Anne! My mom used to make it for Easter dinner with ham! Happy Easter!
I have not tried it so my rating is for the lack of information in the recipe. I like/need measurements, at least as a guide. How much sour cream? How long to cook?
Thanks
Mike
There is a large jump to recipe button at the very beginning, if you scroll down, in the article, you’ll find the recipe. Or use this link. https://www.binkysculinarycarnival.com/mrs-jf-kennedys-csserole-marie-blanche/#recipe
My Mom would make this but instead of chives she would use caramelized onions and didn’t bake it. It was an Hungarian dish called simply cottage and noodles, I still make it cause it is so GOOD!
Yes, there have been many versions of similar recipes to this. This recipe is based on the French recipe which has a bechamel, which was hevy and fattening.
this was a rather bland meal…I pureed the cottage cheese, added chives…it was very boring. won’t be making again
This is a side dish and was not meant to be a main dish. We usually served it with ham or beef roasts and a green vegetable for a complete meal.
Sounds like a winner casserole. Will make it soon.
Thanks for checking out the recipe Sandra. I hope you like it!
This recipe sounds like a great comfort food. Now Im not much for cooking with cottage cheese because I don’t like the lumps. wondering if another cheese could be used such as marscpone and if it would be the same amount. thank you
Just blend the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor to remove the lumps and make it smooth! Marscapone would not work. It’s too thick.
Is this the original recipe ? Example was this truly made with cottage cheese?
This is a version of the French dish Marie Blanche, which has a heavy cream bechamel, so was very fattening. It’s believed that Jackie Kennedy lightened it up a bit. Thanks for checking out the recipe Peggy.
Also, Cottage Cheese has a tangy quality to it, whereas Marscapone isn’t tangy, and is a tiny bit sweet. It is used in desserts, such as cheesecake.
Yes, for sure. And the texture is off, too. Thanks for checking out the recipe Carol.
try using Small Curd cottage cheese.
I personally like it.
sooooo much smoother than the regular kind.
You can also blend the cottage cheese if you don’t like the texture. Thanks for checking out the recipe.