I make some variation of this Beefy Mac & Cheese casserole about once a month (which is quite often for us), because it’s so easy to change-it-up! If I’m feeling Italian, I use Italian spices (oregano and basil) and mozzarella cheese. If I’m feeling Mexican, I’ll use cumin or taco seasoning with cheddar or Monterey Jack. Freezes beautifully too! I often split it in ½ and make ½ and freeze ½. That works well for our small family.

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Beefy Mac & Cheese

Easy beefy mac & cheese recipe the whole family will love

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Beefy mac & cheese

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 5 servings

Author Jayme

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• salt & pepper
• spices (oregano, cumin, coriander, chopped garlic, basil, chili powder, your choice!)
• 2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
• 1 box macaroni
• 2 cups cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Brown your beef and onions with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and the spices. Drain the grease.
• Add the tomato sauce. If you have time, let it simmer on low for an hour or so, but that's not mandatory.
• Cook the macaroni in boiling water al dente. Drain and add the macaroni to the tomato sauce.
• Let cool (if you have time), transfer it to a large baking dish and cover it with foil.
• When ready to bake, cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees until it's hot (about 30-45 minutes depending on how cold it was when you started baking).
• For the last 5 minutes or so, uncover, put cheese on top and cook for 5 minutes or so. Putting the oven on broil will make it nice and brown (but watch it carefully!)

Notes

Freezer Instructions:

I usually freeze these pre-baked.  In fact, for my family, I make two 9×9 pans instead of a 9×13 pan.  Then on the day when I want to make them, I just de-thaw overnight or during the day.

Jayme is a wife to 1 and, so far, a mother to two little boys. She coupons, but isn’t super extreme about it. She price matches and loves it! While she likes to cook, she’s in the stage of life where simple is usually better! She never knows how many hands she’ll have free at dinner time! You can find her at No Regrets Living.

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