Mac and Beef Recipe
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Mac and Beef Recipe

Today I’m sharing my easy Mac and Beef Recipe with you! It’s all about teaching our kids and grandkids how to cook from scratch.

Most of the ingredients are hopefully in your pantry or freezer. If you use some meat, the other items may be in your pantry and refrigerator. Life is good if we can make a meal in 45 minutes or less.

No grocery shopping is required because we stock our home with food items we use often. In case you missed this post, The Best-Baked Mac And Cheese

Mac and Beef Recipe

Items You May Need In The Kitchen:

Mac and Beef Recipe

Step One: Gather Ingredients

As always, gather your ingredients so you are ready to go in making the recipe.

Ingredients

Step Two: Cook Beef & Onions

Grab a large frying pan and cook the onions with the ground beef until cooked through and beef is brown. Drain any excess fat.

Mac and Beef Recipe

Step Three: Stir Often

Make sure the ground beef and onions are totally cooked through by stirring often.

Brown the Ground Beef

Step Four: Boil Macaroni

Boil the macaroni, drain and set aside.

Mac and Beef Recipe

Step Five: Combine All Ingredients

Combine all of the ingredients together and heat through.

Mac and Beef Recipe

Finished Product

Let the cheese melt and it’s ready to serve. Enjoy.

Mac and Beef Recipe
5 from 2 votes
Mac and Beef Recipe
Mac and Beef
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 people
Author: Linda Loosli
Instructions
  1. Grab a large frying pan, and cook the onions with the ground beef until cooked through and beef is brown. Drain any excess fat. Boil the macaroni, drain and set aside. Combine all of the ingredients together and heat through. Let the cheese melt and it's ready to serve. Enjoy.

How do I store it after cooking?

I’d suggest putting the leftovers in plastic bags or airtight containers. Should be good in your fridge for at least 3-4 days, to be safe.

Can I freeze the leftovers?

Sure, you can freeze the leftovers, just like you can most casseroles. It should last for 2-3 months. Take it out 25-30 minutes before you plan to prepare dinner and then reheat in your oven or microwave. If you want it to cook faster, thaw it in the refrigerator the night before.

Besides beef, are there other meats or add ons I can use?

Many recipes for mac and cheese don’t call for any meat, but don’t be afraid to try chicken, bacon bits, taco meat, pork, ground turkey, or cut-up hot dogs, etc. Another favorite of ours is to add jalapeno jelly to the sauce. We also like most any brand of salsa to be added. Just use as much as needed to achieve the added flavor you want.

You can also use different types of spices and herbs. Parsley flakes seem to show up in a number of recipes I’ve seen. Another item often found would be peas. You might want to add them towards the end of the cooking cycle so they don’t break apart.

Read More of My Articles  Easy Breakfast Casserole

Is there any other cheese variety I should try?

Hey, you can try just about any brand or variety of cheese your family likes. I’ve seen Colby, mozzarella, cheddars of all types, American, and others. Growing up, the most common cheese my mom used was Velveeta. We loved her mac and cheese so much!

Is there any secret to making the recipe more creamy?

There are a number of things you can try to achieve a more creamy texture in your recipe. You can add whole milk, sour cream, or plain yogurt, for starters. Some people will add some flour to change the texture too.

Are there other ways to cook this recipe?

Like so many other types of casserole recipes, you can try all sorts of approaches to cooking this. I’ve heard of people using the traditional approach of a pot on the stovetop, along with baking it in the oven, using a slow cooker that can be started early in the day, and even frying it in a frying pan.

Of course, each approach can influence the flavor, texture, and overall appearance of the end result. Give each one a try and see how you like them. I’d also love to hear about your journey so I can share it with my readers.

Can I use other types of pasta noodles and get good results?

The type of noodle really doesn’t matter, as long as you make sure they are prepared properly, and that includes being cooked all the way through. I’ve tried different varieties of noodles and found the end results were equally flavorful. I would suggest you stay with smaller versions of noodles so the kids have an easier time eating them with their small mouths.

Can I make this recipe Gluten-Free?

Yes, you can, you would have to use Gluten-Free pasta and Gluten-Free tomato soup.

Final Word

I’ve learned I get more enjoyment from my cooking when I try new things or change up the old standby meals. That’s why I chose to make this mac and beef today. As shown above, there are so many ways to fix mac and cheese it can be fun to try a bunch of recipes and let your family choose which version they like the most.

Don’t be afraid to let other family members jump in and learn too. It can be a treat to have others help out and learn as they go. We need to teach our kids to feel comfortable in the kitchen, and a meal like this is a natural one to make. May God bless this world. Linda

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11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Nice easy recipe for anyone starting to cook. Very similar to my family’s American chop suey recipe, but we skip the mustard, Worcestershire and cheese, then we add chopped garlic to amp up the flavor. Best thing is how long the pasta and sauce can be kept warming on the stove so this was our go to Halloween meal, and this makes awesome leftovers!

    1. Hi DMWalsh, thank you for the 5 stars, my sweet friend! Oh my gosh, I was doing some research and the term American Chop Suey kept coming up. THANK YOU!!! It really is good, I will try your ideas next time. It really does make good leftovers! Linda

  2. Linda,

    Jane and I make a similar dish our daughter called Goop and the name stuck. We use Ragu meat sauce instead of tomato soup and large elbow pasta. We also add a couple of cloves of minced garlic. We’ve never added mustard or Worcestershire so we’ll have to try that. Thanks for the recipe.

    We plan on making some to help tide us over when our kitchen gets torn out for remodeling after the first of the year.

  3. Linda,

    The last of the new carpet is going into the bedrooms today so I’ll be busy the next few days moving furniture back into those rooms–basically putting our home back together. After New Years I’m having the old cabinets and countertops torn out and replaced. Counting tearing up the old Saltillo tile that’s under the cabinets, repainting the kitchen, then the install, we’ll be without a kitchen sink for almost two weeks. We’ll still have access to our stove/oven, and fridge but doing dishes without a kitchen sink is such a pain we’ll be using a lot of paper/plastic plates.

    We just went without our kitchen sink over the Thanksgiving holiday when the old faucet broke off in Jane’s hand at 9pm on the night before Thanksgiving. Every hardware store in town was closed for the holiday. So, when they reopened I installed a new (and much nicer) faucet–the one that will go in our new undersink when the new countertops go in. I don’t mind cleaning silverware in the bathroom sink, but pots pans and dishes had to be done in the bathtub and that was a pain.

    1. Hi Ray, oh my gosh, you are moving right along in this remodel project. I remember you were without a faucet over Thanksgiving!! What a huge project, but the end result will be amazing. It will be like a new home because everything is new!! Life is good if we have a wonderful kitchen and the rest of the house will bring so much joy as you finish up the odds and ends. I love hearing this, Linda

  4. Your basic recipe minus the pasta can be use for green bean chili. Just add spices and 2-3 can s of drained green beans. Very inexpensive and fast. I would add the spices to your recipe any way. I make my own chili seasoning and use it a lot. Good!

  5. 5 stars
    Linda:
    Your Recipe sounds good but I am of the opinion that mine is a smidgen better. I use Hamburger just like you do and pasta just like you do but the difference in mine is that I use a can of peas in mine a can of mushroom soup in mine and a can of mushrooms in mine. I can make a big pan of mine and it is gone in no time. I usually make a big pan hoping I will have enough to make it as another meat but it is usually gone in no time. A friend gave me the recipes in the 90’s and I just added to it until my family said that was perfect and don’t add anything else to it and we have the ingredients in our freezer. I do have peas in my pantry in cans but we prefer them frozen

    1. I forgot to add that I use about a pound of mixed cheese’s and a jar of cheeze wiz to it also along with Granulated onion and Garlic

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