Beefy Mac and Cheese
Beefy Mac and Cheese, A simple and easy hearwarming dish that the whole family will love. My husbands new favorite food!
Recipe and more over at my blog, The Alchemist.
Beefy Mac and Cheese
adapted from Michael Rhulman's Macaroni and Beef
This makes a lot. Feel free to halve it. It also freezes well. 2 pounds of beef to one pound of macaroni may be a lot for you, it's pretty beefy, (but just right for us) feel free to only use 1 pound. This fills my deep dish 9x13 dish to the top. If you don't have a deep 9x13 pan you may need to use a second pan. I reheated some later in individual ramekins as seen in the above picture, so cooking some up individually is another option.
Ingredients1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste
optional seasonings: black pepper, oregano, cumin, coriander, chopped garlic, hot smoked paprika, chili powder-whatever you’re in the mood for (I just used black pepper and a tsp. of granulated garlic.)
2 - 15 oz cans (850 g. total) diced tomatoes
1 - 15 oz can (425 g.) tomato sauce
2 pounds (907 g.) lean ground beef
1 box (1 lb.) (454 g.) elbow macaroni
4 cups (1 lb.) (454 g.) grated sharp cheddar cheese or you can use a mixture of different cheeses
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, 200 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 6.
Cook the macaroni a few minutes less than the package directions; drain and place back in the pan, add the diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce to let the pasta absorb the tomatoes.
Heat the oil in a large skillet; add the onion and and saute until soft. Add the ground beef and saute until browned. Add plenty of salt to taste, and pepper and spices if using.
Add the ground beef mixture to the macaroni mixture and stir. In a greased deep dish 9x13 inch casserole dish, add about half of the macaroni. Add a layer of cheese, about half, (2 cups.) Add the rest of the macaroni and top with the rest of the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and broil the top for another few minutes so it gets nice and bubbly, brown and melted. Let sit about 10 minutes before serving.