Regular macaroni and cheese is great on its own. However, we all must admit to one simple fact – everything tastes better with meat added. (Well not exactly everything, but most things.) While we’re at it, why not switch up the noodle? I think this calls for a pasta remix!
Ingredients:
– 1 lb ground beef
– 1 can of evaporated milk + the same amount of regular milk (I only had one can, so I needed to combine the two. You can use all of one type if you want – I don’t think it really matters…)
– 1 box of gemelli pasta
– 12 oz of shredded cheese (I used 8 oz of monterey cheddar and 4 oz of plain cheddar based on what was in my refrigerator.)
– seasoned salt
– pepper
– garlic powder
– paprika
– 2 tbsp butter
Brown the ground beef in a skillet and season it with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Remove it from the pan when fully cooked, and be sure to drain the meat to remove the fat and grease. I used some paper towels for this task. While this is going on, heat the milk and melt in two-thirds (8 oz) of the allotted cheese in a sauce pan.
After the pasta is finish cooking (in salted water), drain and add the butter to let it melt on the hot noodles and season them with some pepper. Combine the noodles with the cheese sauce and ground beef. Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle it with paprika. This gives it a nice color and a cheesy crust on top. (Yum!)
Bake the dish in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, and be prepared to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Where’s the beef? It’s in the macaroni.
Where’s the beef?
You’re funny. Looks yummy.
all kinds of delicious heart attack right there!
Looks like a great weeknight meal :). Evaporated milk works wonders in so many recipes, I bet it made the mac and cheese extra creamy and tasty!