An Old Favorite

Tonight my youngest brother in law came over for dinner.  I had defrosted a pound of hamburger and I needed to come up with a meal all would eat.  So, I did what my friend Karen did.  She had just told me this afternoon how she had googled ground beef recipes and came up with meatloaf.  I tried a similar search and came up with cheeseburger macaroni.  I found a recipe online that sounded good and then modified it (as I usually do).  This is what I ended up making...

Cheeseburger Mac

1 lb ground beef 

• 3/4 cup onions, minced
• 1-2 tsp. minced garlic (or 1 1/4 tsp. garlic powder added with the spices)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 3 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cup cold water
• 12 oz. or 3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked  (you could also use small shells or rotini)
• 3/4 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/3 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced or 1 tsp. dried
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 oz. American cheese

Additional 1/3-1/2 cup milk

2-4 Tbsp sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. 1.  Brown ground beef and onions.
2. 2.  Turn off the heat and place a paper towel in the pan and swish it around to absorb any grease in the pan.  Repeat with another paper towel if there's still more grease.
3. 3.  Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the cheddar and American cheese. 
4. Add remaining ingredients except for the cheese.
5. 4.  Stir and bring to a boil over medium heat.
6. 5.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until pasta is tender).  Check the noodles and stir after 5 minutes, then after another 3 minutes, and then after another 3 minutes until noodles are done.  Just be careful not to overcook the noodles.  If there isn't enough liquid, add 1/4 cup milk at a time so that the bottom doesn't burn.
7. 6. Stir in cheeses until melted.  Then, add enough milk (a little at a time) to make the sauce creamy.   Taste it.  If you would like a little tang, start by adding 2 Tbsp of sour cream.  If you want more tang, add a little more...  
8. 
   
9. Serve right away or the sauce will thicken.  Add a little milk before stirring if it thickens too much.

This was enough to serve my family of 5 plus 1 eighteen year old boy and have a little bit for leftovers.  

All three of my kids ate dinner (and 2 had seconds), so this recipe is going in the recipe box.  My husband and brother in law also gave it a thumbs up--especially since it's pretty quick and easy!