Cheeseburger macaroni

Cheeseburger Macaroni

Okay, I feel a little like a dork posting this, but here it is anyway.  Nothing fancy.  Definitely not fussy.  But this is one of those meals that I can have on the table in under 30 minutes and I even tend to get an excited “I love you, Mom!”  Go figure.  It is absolutely the easiest thing to throw together because I always have the ingredients on hand.  And it does remind me of a cheeseburger.  You can use whatever pasta you like, but I typically use whole wheat or Ronzoni Smart Pasta, because we eat a lot of pasta and I want to at least know that we’re getting something good out of it.  So by adding a side of your favorite veggie, you’ve got a pretty quick go-to dinner.

{one year ago:  strawberry oreo truffles}

Recipe:  Cheeseburger Macaroni

1 1/2 – 2 lbs. ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 Tbsp. Emeril’s Essence original seasoning  (You can buy a jar or make your own with this recipe.)

1 box elbow macaroni pasta

1 29-oz. can tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Add ground beef and onion to a large skillet or pot, along with Emeril’s Essence, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper.  Cook until meat is no longer pink.  Drain meat mixture, if necessary, to get rid of any extra grease.  In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook macaroni according to package directions.

When pasta is done, drain; then add pasta and tomato sauce to beef mixture.  Turn temperature to low-medium and cook until sauce is heated.  Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted and combined.