A warm and comforting meal loved by meat and cheese lovers alike. This easy-to-make tomato beef mac and cheese casserole can serve a family in under an hour.
When I was a kid, I would [jokingly] say I was half Italian because of how much I loved pasta. If they believed me, I would run with it but now that I’m much older, it would be quite silly if I continued that little white lie. Though I no longer say I’m Italian, my love for pasta still remains. Depending if I want to go French, Latin, or the classic Italian for dinner, I’ll inevitably have a pasta dish prepared at least once a week. Tomato Beef Mac and Cheese is one of those meals quite often seen in rotation.
This hearty meal is full of flavor that can be seasoned with your favorite all-purpose seasonings. I used this Trader Joe’s garlic salt which is one I will always stand by for any meat dish. Also, if you want to take it up a notch, you can include a specialty tomato sauce. For simplicity, I used an 8 oz can of plain tomato sauce – that garlic salt adds the perfect amount of spice. However, I have used varying sauces such as roasted garlic, tomato basil and tomato vodka which really amps the flavor!
How to Make Tomato Beef Mac and Cheese
Below are step-by-step images on the process of making tomato beef macaroni and cheese. The captions below each image is a shortened description of the steps. For full recipe instructions, see the recipe card towards the end of this post.
For meat and cheese lovers, like myself, this is a great cozy uncomplicated casserole that can serve a family of 6 to 8 people in less than an hour. The downside to this beefy mac and cheese is using three large cookwares: pot, pan, and casserole dish. I’m a Latina that uses the dishwasher for storage but if you use yours, this may not be an issue at all.
On a separate topic for food photo enthusiasts, the final shots were taken under direct sunlight which produced harsh shadows but lit up the food (I think) quite nice. I wanted to try something different. Let me know, what are your thoughts? Think softer shadows are better?
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Tomato Beef Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 50 minutes
Description
A warm and comforting meal loved by meat and cheese lovers alike. This easy-to-make tomato beef mac and cheese casserole can serve a family in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (216 grams) elbow macaroni or pasta shells.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound (454 grams) 90% lean ground beef
- 3 to 4 roma tomatoes, diced (360 grams)
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) garlic salt or adobo
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 oz can (227 grams) tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream
- 2 cups (224 grams) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
- 4 green onions, chopped (15 grams)
- fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- In a large pot over high heat, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add pasta and salt; give a quick stir to prevent pasta from sticking to the bottom and cover. When water begins to boil again, decrease heat to medium-high and allow pasta to cook in a soft boil until al-dente, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain water from the pasta; set aside.
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large skillet over medium heat, chop ground beef and tomatoes into small pieces. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink or a meat thermometer reads 160°F (70°C).
- Reduce heat to medium-low, mix in tomato sauce and sugar. Allow sauce to simmer for 5 minutes. Thoroughly mix in sour cream. Stir in 1 cup cheese and green onions. Add pasta and gently fold into the beef mixture. Transfer the beef-macaroni mixture into a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
- Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese has melted. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: American
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