Cheesy Ground Beef Dinner

When the kids were little, life seemed busy all the time. Between work, school functions, church, and chores, I was always looking for a quick, easy idea for supper, especially on Wednesday when the kids needed to be uptown for “J-Team” by 6 pm.

My go-to recipe was usually that popular box dinner recipe with pasta and some powder mix for flavor that you added to browned hamburger. It was quick, easy, inexpensive, and accessible. I usually kept several boxes in the cupboard. I think the kids liked the cheeseburger one the most. Here is a homemade version where you can choose to control the amount of salt in the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

½ cup finely diced onion OR 1 teaspoon onion powder

2 cups of milk

1 ¼ cup water plus 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon OR 1 ¼ cup chicken broth

1 ½ cups macaroni noodles (uncooked)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt (optional, as the chicken broth/bouillon has a lot of sodium)

2 teaspoons paprika

¼ teaspoon black pepper

*1 ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and onion (if you are using onion powder, add it to your dry ingredients; do not add to the raw meat, as you will lose the flavor when you drain the fat). Once the beef is cooked through and the onions are tender, drain the excess fat (see below for tips).

While the beef is cooking, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, garlic powder, sugar, optional salt, paprika, and black pepper, *and onion powder if using (in place of raw onion), stir well to incorporate.

When the beef is cooked and drained, return it to the skillet and sprinkle your dry mixture onto the beef. Stir well to coat the beef. Once the dry mixture has been incorporated, stir in the chicken broth and milk, then add the macaroni noodles.

Bring to a boil (watch carefully so it does not boil over and make a mess), reduce the heat, add a cover to the skillet and continue to cook for approximately 9-12 minutes (until the pasta is tender), stirring frequently to keep the noodles from sticking to the pan and to keep it well mixed.

Add your cheese and stir well to combine and melt.

Serve hot and enjoy.

TIPS*

-Draining the fat from the beef:

You can use a strainer or colander, a fine mesh strainer, or simply place a few paper towels on a plate, pour the meat and fat onto the paper towel, pat with another paper towel to smash the fat out of the beef and let it collect in the paper towel on the bottom. I also take a paper towel and wipe out the skillet before I return the beef to it.

-Adding the dry mix to the meat and coating it before you add the liquid helps to ensure that you don’t have “clumps” of seasoning, and this helps to distribute the flavors better.

-Cheese: Try to avoid pre-shredded cheese as it can give a “grainy texture” when it melts. If you can, use block cheese that you shred yourself.

-Browning the beef: If you let your beef cook undisturbed (after it's broken up), for a few minutes to really get a good sear (dark brown), be careful not to burn your meat by watching it pretty closely, this will give your dish a deeper, more savory flavor. This “trick” will hold with any ground beef recipe you make.

-Reheat: To reheat this dish, add either milk or water to it. Depending on how much you are heating up, start with just a small amount of liquid. You can either use a microwave or simply put it back into a pan and reheat it on the stove. The pasta will absorb the liquid and make the dinner creamier again. Be careful to add small amounts of liquid at a time, because the noodles can only absorb so much before they get “mushy”.

-Leftovers:

You can portion up the leftovers, place into freezer-safe zipper bags, and freeze for another time. I have saved mine for up to 3 months with no issues. To reheat, you can warm in the microwave or on the stove top, using the same method as above. If reheating on the stove, keep an eye on it and stir frequently to avoid burning it. If using the microwave, I suggest using a loose “cover” to avoid the pasta “exploding” and making a mess. Make sure to stir frequently; this will help avoid the mess-making issue and ensure you are heating it through.

-Reduced batch:

I generally cut this recipe in half when it's only my husband and me eating.

-Make ahead:

You can make your spice mixture ahead of time and store it in a food-safe plastic bag for a quick, ready-to-go meal.

-Gifting:

You can mix your spices, place them in a food-safe plastic bag, then place the pasta in another bag or a glass jar with a lid. Put the spice bag together with the noodles and create a “directions” card. Put a pretty ribbon or twine string around your “package” and gift it to a friend or someone you think could use a warm wish and hearty meal.

.**Substitutions**

 Macaroni: If you don’t have macaroni, really any pasta can work, whether it's egg noodles, Rotini, Farfalle, whatever you have will work.

Cheese:

If you don’t have cheddar cheese, that is absolutely fine. You can use any flavor of cheese you want. I have even substituted shredded cheese with Velveeta or American slices. This is where you make the dish “your own”. Trade out the cheese to get different flavors. If you like spicy, add pepper jack or mozzarella for a milder flavor. The options are endless.

Cornstarch:

If you don’t have cornstarch, you can use all-purpose flour. The ratio is 2:1, so in this recipe, if you need to use flour, use 2 tablespoons of flour instead of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Also, if using flour, make sure you cook and stir in the seasoned meat for at least 2 minutes before adding the liquid. You want to make sure the flour is “cooked” so your dish doesn’t have a “flour” taste.

Beef:

I would imagine that if you don’t like beef or prefer not to use it, you could substitute ground turkey or chicken, possibly even pork. I have never done that, but generally, the idea would be the same. If you do try to substitute the meat, please drop a comment and let me know how it turned out for you.

I hope you will give this recipe a try next time you are in a hurry for something hearty.

Who knows, it may even bring back some wonderful childhood memories.