Cheesy Macaroni and Beef Casserole
Description
Combine the goodness of mac and cheese with tomatoes and ground beef or turkey and a few veggies. This dish will please everyone in the family.
Ingredients
4 T. unsalted butter or margarine
2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. kosher salt or to taste
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. paprika, regular or smoked
3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 T. tomato paste
1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey
1 lb. elbow macaroni, regular or whole wheat
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. whole milk
15 oz. can crushed tomatoes including juices
1 c. chicken broth or stock
3 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the middle position. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Grease a 5 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic, salt, oregano, paprika, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft but not browned, about 7 - 10 minutes.
Add tomato paste, stir, and cook about 1 minute. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking meat into smaller pieces, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Cook pasta in the boiling water until still chewy and slightly underdone, usually 1 - 2 minutes less than the package directions suggest. Drain; rinse with cold water to stop cooking; set aside.
Add flour to the beef mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raw taste has cooked out of the flour, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, tomatoes with the juices, and broth/stock; stir to combine, and bring to a simmer.
Add the cooked pasta and 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar cheese; stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until pasta is heated through, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Transfer to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar cheese, and bake until bubbling and lightly browned on top, about 25 - 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 4-6