Macaroni and Beef Casserole
This recipe was passed down to my sisters and I from our Mother and to her from her Mother. This is a great meal you can serve if you have some unexpected company and you need to feed a lot of people. It is also wonderful if you are on a budget.
This recipe was passed down to my sisters and I from our Mother and to her from her Mother. This is a great meal you can serve if you have some unexpected company and you need to feed a lot of people. It is also wonderful if you are on a budget.
- Carbohydrate 54.2823938095238 g
- Cholesterol 47.6666666666667 mg
- Fat 16.1227040476191 g
- Fiber 3.15352387018431 g
- Protein 20.7778695238095 g
- Saturated Fat 9.77329423809524 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (178g)
- Sodium 331.477857142857 mg
- Sugar 51.1288699393395 g
- Trans Fat 1.13084714285715 g
- Calories 448 calories
Step-by-step
- Season ground beef with the garlic, onion, italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Cook macaroni as per the instructions on the package.
- Brown the ground beef until cooked.
- Remove and drain excess oil.
- In the same frying pan cook onion until transparent.
- In a caserole dish (size varies on the amount you make) add the ground beef, onion, and diced tomatoes.
- Top with grated marble cheese and sprinkle with parmesan.
- Preheat oven at 350º
- Bake for about 20 min or until you see some boiling, then put your oven on broil and broil until the cheese turns a golden brown.
Home cooks frequently fail to drain rendered fat from browned ground beef thoroughly, leaving an oily slick that prevents the cheese and tomato mixture from binding cohesively during baking. Managing moisture in a compact workspace requires careful attention to ingredient selection, particularly when swapping canned tomatoes for fresh alternatives. Canned diced tomatoes provide a predictable, concentrated liquid volume that helps soften the uncooked or par-cooked short pasta during its twenty minutes in a 350-degree oven, whereas fresh tomatoes release erratic amounts of water that can make the casserole watery unless pre-cooked down into a thick paste. Browning the meat effectively requires a heavy-bottomed skillet that retains heat well, ensuring the proteins develop deep savory notes before combining with diced onions and seasonings. When layering components in the baking dish, maintain distinct boundaries between the starch, protein, and dairy layers to preserve the structural integrity of the dish rather than stirring everything into a muddy blend. Finishing the bake under a direct broiler for two to three minutes transforms the grated marble and parmesan cheeses into a bubbling, golden-brown crust, providing the necessary textural contrast against the tender macaroni underneath.
