Cheesy Beef Macaroni Casserole

Name: Cheesy Beef Macaroni Casserole
Total time: 3600 s
Yield: 4-6 people
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 1/4 oz macaroni (about 120 grams); 9 oz ground beef or pork (about 250 grams); 1/4-1/2 cup carrots (to taste); 1/4-1/2 cup chopped onions; 1/4-1/2 cup zucchini or bell peppers or other vegetables (to taste); 1/2-1 tsp dried basil (optional); 1 cup cheddar cheese; Cheese for topping (parmesan + cheddar as desired); Salt and pepper to taste; 1 pinch sugar for seasoning; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 1 can crushed tomatoes; 1/4-1/2 cup ketchup (adjust to taste); 1-2 tbsp olive oil for sautéing

Ningky @Ningky13

Melbourne

Kids love this dish because it's loaded with cheese. It can also be packed as a school lunch. You can make a larger portion if you have a big family.

Ningky @Ningky13

Melbourne

Kids love this dish because it's loaded with cheese. It can also be packed as a school lunch. You can make a larger portion if you have a big family.

Saved

Ingredients

1 hour

4-6 people

4 1/4 ozmacaroni (about 120 grams)
9 ozground beef or pork (about 250 grams)
1/4-1/2 cupcarrots (to taste)
1/4-1/2 cupchopped onions
1/4-1/2 cupzucchini or bell peppers or other vegetables (to taste)
1/2-1 tspdried basil (optional)
1 cupcheddar cheese
Cheese for topping (parmesan + cheddar as desired)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pinchsugar for seasoning
3 tbsptomato paste
1 cancrushed tomatoes
1/4-1/2 cupketchup (adjust to taste)
1-2 tbspolive oil for sautéing

Saved

Steps

1 hour

1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. While waiting, heat a pan over high heat and add about 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the ground beef or pork and cook until done.
2

Once the meat is cooked, add the onions and sauté until they are translucent. Then add the carrots and zucchini, and stir-fry for about 4-5 minutes.
3

Boil the macaroni in salted water, cooking it 3 minutes less than the package instructions. For example, if the package says 8 minutes, cook for only 5 minutes. The macaroni will finish cooking in the oven.
4

Add the tomato paste to the meat and vegetable mixture. Then add the crushed tomatoes, ketchup, dried basil, salt, pepper, and about 1/2 tsp of sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, as different brands of ketchup can vary in flavor.
5

Drain the macaroni and add it to the sautéed mixture. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to low, and add the cheddar cheese, stirring until the cheese melts.
6

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and sprinkle with cheese topping. You can use cheddar, parmesan, or even mozzarella.
7

Cover the dish with foil to prevent the cheese from burning. Bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, depending on how browned you like the cheese. Once done, remove from the oven and let it sit for 3-5 minutes before serving.