Meat, cheese and noodles. What's not to love?
I got this recipe from Home Ec 101. I was mainly interested because it was one of the first cheese sauces that I've seen that didn't start with a roux. Being a total snob, I fully expected it to taste really nasty. It didn't. I did cut the recipe in half and it was plenty for the three of us.
(For the record, Dax scarfed it and Julia wouldn't even touch it when she saw the tomatoes in it. My friend Amanda thinks it would be great with peas. I disagree, but if you like peas, give it a try.)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 lb elbow macaroni
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 4 TBSP butter
- 5oz evaporated milk or 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 10 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
In a large skillet, brown the meat over medium low until nearly done and then drain off the grease. Return to the skillet and add the diced onion and minced garlic. Continue cooking over low heat until the meat has browned and the onions are soft. Stir in the tomatoes to heat them up.
While the meat is browning, in a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente. While the noodles are cooking, whisk together the eggs, evaporated milk OR half and half, hot sauce, dry mustard, and salt / pepper.
Drain. While the noodles are draining melt the 4 TBSP of butter in the pan, then return the pasta to the pot. Stir to make sure all of the pasta is coated evenly. (The burner should be off). Add the sauce and turn the burner to low, stir the macaroni until it is evenly coated in the sauce mixture. Then stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until everything is melted and wonderful.
Dump the contents of the pot into the skillet with the ground beef. Stir to combine and serve.
