Recipe Background
Simple Beef Dinner might be made of simple pleasures, but the flavor it creates? Huge! Gigantic! The succulent ground beef, the tender elbow macaroni, and the melty, sharp cheddar cheese come together to make the best kind of pasta and meat dish. Some aromatics from garlic powder, a little heat from the chili powder, and some tangy notes from the mustard permeate each bite! Simple Beef Dinner is ready in a flash and brings smiles even faster!
Simple Beef Dinner might be made of simple pleasures, but the flavor it creates? Huge! Gigantic! The succulent ground beef, the tender elbow macaroni, and the melty, sharp cheddar cheese come together to make the best kind of pasta and meat dish. Some aromatics from garlic powder, a little heat from the chili powder, and some tangy notes from the mustard permeate each bite! Simple Beef Dinner is ready in a flash and brings smiles even faster!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup onions diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more, to taste
- 5 cups beef broth
- 1 (16-ounce) package elbow macaroni
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- parsley optional, to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil.
- Add the ground beef to the hot oil and cook, while crumbling, until it is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the onions to the ground beef and cook, while stirring, until the onions are softened and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and the Worcestershire sauce to the beef mixture and stir until it is well-combined.
- Add the garlic powder, the chili powder, the ground mustard, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper to the beef mixture and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the beef broth and the macaroni to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
- Bring the macaroni mixture to a simmer.
- Cover the pot with a lid and allow the macaroni mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Uncover the pot, stir the macaroni mixture, and replace the lid.
- Simmer the macaroni mixture until the macaroni is just al dente, about 5 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream to the macaroni mixture and stir to combine.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar to the macaroni mixture and stir to combine.
- Taste the macaroni mixture for seasoning and add the extra salt and the extra black pepper, as needed. Stir to combine.
- Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining cheese and replace the lid.
- Allow the macaroni mixture to heat until the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve garnished with the parsley.
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