Texas Trail Beef Macaroni

This is the kind of skillet supper that earned its keep on a chuck wagon: one pot, big flavor, no fuss. The trick that makes Texas Trail beef macaroni work is cooking the macaroni right in the beef stock instead of a separate pot of water. As the pasta boils, it drinks up all that beefy, garlicky liquid and ends up seasoned straight through to the center.

Brown the ground beef with onion first and drain the fat so the dish stays rich, not greasy. Then everything else goes in together, the garlic, stock, Worcestershire, chili powder, and a little dried basil, and it all simmers covered until the noodles are tender, about 10 minutes.

The finish is what pulls it together: a handful of grated cheddar melting into the hot pasta and a scatter of fresh scallions for bite.

Kitchen Tips

• Keep the lid on while the macaroni cooks so the stock holds a steady boil and the pasta cooks through evenly.
• If it looks dry before the noodles are tender, splash in the reserved water; if it’s soupy, simmer uncovered for a minute or two.
• Stir in the cheese off the heat so it melts smooth instead of seizing.

Variations

• Bump the chili powder and add a diced jalapeno for a hotter Tex-Mex lean.
• Swap in ground turkey for a leaner pot.
• Finish with a spoonful of sour cream and crushed tortilla chips for a crowd-pleasing topping.