One-Pot Mac n Beef
One-Pot Mac n Beef is an easy, budget-friendly meal that makes 8 servings for cheaper than the frozen section at the grocery store. Customize with veggies or cheese for added flavor!
Equipment
- Normal Kitchen Utensils
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dried Elbow Macaroni
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 Medium White or Yellow Onion
- 1 14.5 Oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 29 Oz. Can Tomato Sauce
- 3 C Beef Broth
- 1/4 C Olive Oil (Optional)
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced Or 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Tbsp Dried Basil Or more Oregano
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme Or More Oregano
- 1-2 Bay Leaves (Optional)
- Grated Parmesan Cheese for Topping (Optional)
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium high heat.
- Add the ground beef to the pot and break it into small pieces. Add a heavy pinch of salt and pepper. Brown the beef for 5-6 minutes until the pink has cooked out of it.1 lb Ground Beef, Salt and Pepper to Taste
- While the beef cooks, finely dice the onion.1 Medium White or Yellow Onion
- (Optional Step): if you want to drain the beef fat off, do so once the beef is cooked through. But be sure to replace it with 1/4 C of olive oil.1/4 C Olive Oil
- Add the onion with the beef and cook another 3 minutes, until the onion begins to become translucent. Add another heavy pinch of salt and pepper.
- Stir in the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, including the juice, along with the oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaf and another heavy pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 2-3 more minutes.1 14.5 Oz. Can Diced Tomatoes, 1/2 Tbsp Dried Oregano, 1/2 Tbsp Dried Basil, 1 tsp Dried Thyme, 1-2 Bay Leaves
- Stir in the tomato sauce and broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 29 Oz. Can Tomato Sauce, 3 C Beef Broth
- Stir in the macaroni and cover again. Cook another 10 minutes, or until the macaroni is cooked through, stirring occasionally.1 lb Dried Elbow Macaroni
- Once the macaroni is cooked, remove the lid and stir, testing the thickness of the sauce. If the dish is a little soupy, keep the lid off and cook for another few minutes, stirring often. The open lid will allow water to steam off and the sauce to thicken.If the dish seems a little dry for your taste, add a little more broth (or water if you are out of broth).
- Once the sauce is at the desired thickness, cut the heat and taste one more time for seasoning. Depending on how much salt your broth has, you will likely need to add more salt. If the flavors seem muted, add some salt. Just be careful not to over-salt.Add pepper as you see fit.
- I recommend giving the pasta 5-10 minutes to cool down, covered in the pot, before serving - because it will be lava hot. Remove the bay leaves, top with (optional) parmesan cheese and enjoy!Grated Parmesan Cheese for Topping
Notes
There are A LOT of ways to dress this dish up:
You can obviously top this with any kind of grated cheese.
If you want a little spice, mix in 1-2 tsp of red pepper flakes.
Replace the ground beef with ground Italian sausage.
Try equal amounts of taco seasoning in place of the oregano, basil, thyme and bay leaves. Maybe mix in a can of corn too.
Try sautéing 8 oz. of mushrooms with the beef and onions (or a drained can of mushrooms). You can add olives or diced bell pepper with the meat as well.
Even mix in a little ranch dressing for that creamy texture.