Meat & Macaroni Casserole
Submitted by Phineas T.Pinkham
Meat and macaroni casserole loaded with ground beef, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes under melted mozzarella. A hearty one-dish family dinner baked until bubbly and golden.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minA big-batch casserole that feeds six with a pound of elbow macaroni, 1 ½ pounds of ground beef, and a generous pile of sautéed vegetables all baked under a blanket of melted mozzarella. This is weeknight comfort food that uses one skillet and one baking dish.
The vegetables cook first and separately from the meat. Green peppers, onions, and sliced mushrooms get sautéed until tender, then set aside. The ground beef goes into the same skillet next, picking up all those vegetable flavors left in the drippings. Browning until the pan juices evaporate concentrates the meaty flavor and prevents a watery casserole.
Half the mozzarella gets stirred into the meat and tomato mixture. The other half goes on top. This dual-cheese approach means melted cheese throughout the casserole, not just a layer sitting on the surface.
Toss everything together gently in the baking dish. You want the macaroni, vegetables, and meat distributed evenly, not layered in strata.
Kitchen Tips
- Cook the macaroni to just al dente. It continues cooking during the 20-minute bake and overcooked pasta turns mushy.
- Drain the beef fat before adding the tomatoes. Excess grease makes the casserole oily.
- Use canned whole tomatoes and break them up by hand for a chunkier texture than diced.
- This reheats well the next day. Add a splash of water before microwaving to loosen the pasta.
Variations
- Italian sausage: Replace ground beef with hot or mild Italian sausage for a spicier, more herbal version.
- Tex-Mex casserole: Add taco seasoning to the meat and swap mozzarella for pepper jack cheese.
- Vegetarian: Skip the meat, double the mushrooms, and add a can of black beans for protein.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare macaroni according to package directions, drain.
Spoon into 13 x 9 baking dish .
Meanwhile cut grren peppers into strips.
Thinly slice mushrooms.
Heat salad oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, sauté peppers, onions, mushrooms and salt, until vegetables are tender.
Stir occasionally.
Spoon vegetable mixture into baking dish with macroni.
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
In drippings remaining from skillet, cook meat and garlic, until all pan juices evaporate, and meat is browned.
Stir in tomatoes and thier liquid, pepper, half the grated cheese and salt.
Spoon mixture into baking dish with macaroni and vegetables and toss gently to mix.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is hot.
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