Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.
Usually, most nights in our house anyway! Being that we are beef producers, we tend to always have a freezer full of different beef cuts that I love to cook with. I also cook with my fair share of ground beef – it’s perfect for quick weeknight meals, to-go field deliveries, and even for bulk when I’m feeding a crowd of family and friends! This recipe is one of my absolute favorites when it comes to ground beef, and in fact, it was my first original recipe that I developed on my own. Enjoy!
Beef Chili Mac
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- Seasoned salt & black pepper, to taste
- ½ pound elbow macaroni pasta
- 20 ounces condensed tomato soup
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
Directions:
- Cook pasta according to the box directions. While pasta is boiling, place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Add in chopped onion, then season with seasoned salt and black pepper (to your liking). Brown hamburger over medium-high heat. Drain off grease if necessary.
- Add chili powder, garlic powder, and ground cumin. Stir until beef is coated in the spices. Reduce heat to low.
- Add in tomato soup, stir until combined.
- Drain pasta and add to the skillet with the hamburger. Add 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheese and stir to combine.
- Top with remaining cheese. Enjoy!
I like to think of this dish as a crossover between a couple of our favorites – chili and mac & cheese! And I’m not going to knock a childhood classic of mine, Hamburger Helper, because I still make that fairly often (it is quick and easy and sometimes that’s just what you need!), but I like to think that this recipe is a homemade version of the classic Cheeseburger Macaroni. 😉
In addition to beef being absolutely delicious, here’s another reason to love BEEF – it contains 10 essential nutrients!
- Choline – assists with nervous system development
- Iron – helps your body utilize oxygen
- Niacin – supports energy production & metabolism
- Phosphorus – helps build healthy bones & teeth
- Protein – helps build & repair muscle
- Riboflavin – converts food into fuel
- Selenium – protects cells from damage
- Vitamins B6 & B12 – maintains brain function & provides energy
- Zinc – helps maintain a healthy immune system
For me, the month of May is the kickoff to summer. And while ground hamburger is what I commonly use when cooking with our favorite protein, we also love a good beef roast, or burgers and steaks on the grill. So use the rest of May to get outside and crank up that grill to kickoff summer! It really is hard to beat a nice, sizzling steak.
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Rooted in ag and led by faith,
Ellyn