Beefy Salsa Mac

1 lb. ground beef

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground cumin to taste

1 can beef broth

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 can Rotel

2 cups macaroni

Brown ground beef with spices to taste and drain. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until pasta is cooked and sauce is thickened. Add additional water during cooking if necessary.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

This was a bare cupboard desperation dinner that turned into a family favorite.

1 lb. ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove minced garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 box deluxe macaroni and cheese dinner
2/3 cup skim milk
2 tbl. butter or margarine
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a 3-4 quart saucepan, Dutch oven or large skillet, brown ground beef with salt, pepper, garlic and cumin. Drain well and set aside. In the same saucepan, prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions, altering amount of milk to 2/3 cup and butter to 2 tbl. Return ground beef to saucepan and mix well. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese until melted and serve.

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Macaroni

This is a classic Velvetta recipe I got years ago from one of those little cookbook magazines you always find in the checkout line at the grocery store. Excellent for feeding a crowd. I like to sometimes use broccoli florets instead of chopped broccoli. Don't be afraid to add extra chicken broth or some water if you think there isn't enough liquid.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into chunks
1 can chicken broth
3/4 lb. Velveeta, cut up
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

Cook and stir chicken in large skillet 2 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in broth. Bring to boil. Stir in macaroni. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover with tight fitting lid. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Add Velveeta and broccoli, stir until Velveeta is melted.

Note: I like to use my chicken fryer in place of the large skillet. It holds everything much better and has a tight fitting lid. An electric skillet would probably work, too.

Baked Ziti

This recipe is courtesy of Mr. Food. It's basically unchanged but, being the carnivores we are, I decided it needed some meat. Leave the meat out for a vegetarian friendly meal.

1/2 lb. ziti
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
1 jar (28 oz.) spaghetti sauce
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. lean ground beef

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and stir in ricotta cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Brown ground beef in skillet, drain and stir into spaghetti sauce. Spread 1/2 of spaghetti sauce mixture in a 13x9x2 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon in ziti and cheese mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella. Bake at 350ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and hot through.

Rice Oriental

I developed this dish when our favorite flavor of Hamburger Helper® was discontinued. The variation uses the Cream of Whatever Soup Mix I found on CafeMom. Both methods work equally well and I can't taste a difference between them.

1 lb. hamburger
onion powder
Garlic salt
1 c. cooked rice
1/4 c. soy sauce, or less
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. water

Brown hamburger with spices. Stir in rice, soy sauce, soup and water and heat through.

Variation: Use 1/3 cup cream of soup mix, 2 3/4 cup water and 1/2 cup raw rice. Stir into cooked hamburger, cover and cook 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Cheesy Mac and Chicken a la King

This combination may sound weird, but it is surprisingly good.

1 box macaroni and cheese
1 can chicken a la king (eg. Swanson’s)
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
Shredded cheese

Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions. Stir in chicken a la king and shredded chicken. Transfer to a small baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Top with shredded cheese and bake at 350ºF for 20-30 minutes, or until hot through and cheese is bubbly.

Cheddar Chicken Spaghetti

7 oz. spaghetti, broken
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 cups shredded cheese, divided
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 tbl. pimiento (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine chicken, 1 cup cheese, soup, milk, pimientos, salt and pepper. Drain spaghetti; add to the chicken mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Cheesy Rice and Broccoli

A simple to fix classic. This came from a Velveeta cookbook, natch.

10 oz. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
8 oz. Velveeta, cubed

Bring broccoli and water to a full boil in a medium saucepan set to medium-high heat. Stir in rice, cover. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in Velveeta until melted.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

3 cups cooked egg noodles
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbl. butter or margarine
1 can cheddar cheese or mushroom soup
1 large can (or 2 small cans) tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup milk
2 tbl. flour
1/4 cup pimiento
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a saucepan cook celery and onion in butter or margarine till tender but not brown. Stir in flour and soup. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir till thick. Stir in tuna, pimento, and noodles. Turn into 1 1/2 quart casserole sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, in a 375ºF oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese Lasagna

1 pkg. macaroni and cheese, prepared according to package directions
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb. lean ground beef, cooked & drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbl. Parmesan cheese

Spoon half of macaroni into lightly greased 8" square baking dish. Top with half each meat, sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Pepperoni Macaroni

2 1/2 cups macaroni
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can pizza sauce
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/3 cup milk
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can sliced black olives, drained
3 1/2 oz. sliced pepperoni, halved
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Drain macaroni. In a large bowl, combine pizza sauce, tomato sauce and milk. Stir in hamburger mixture, macaroni, pepperoni, mushrooms and olives. Transfer to a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Cover and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Easy Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

I love this recipe for Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese so much I decided there was no better kick off for this blog than to share it with everyone. This is adapted from a Paul Deen recipe, which you can find at the Food Network website: Creamy Macaroni and Cheese.

The ingredients:

Macaroni, cheese, butter, milk, sour cream, cheddar cheese soup, ground mustard, salt and pepper.

The original recipe used 3 eggs, but I wanted a creamy texture, so I left them out. Also, I love the combination of sharp cheddar cheese and Monterrey Jack. The original recipe called for sharp cheddar only.


This is after everything has been stirred together and before turning on the crockpot. See those lumps of gloppy, melted cheese in there? About 2 hours into the cooking process give it a good stir and it will all come together beautifully. Also, please ignore my ancient but trusty crockpot. It's around 25 years old and still going strong. We're looking forward to many more happy years together.


Yum, yum, yum! Doesn't that look delicious? Those golden brown patties are salmon. Stay tuned and sometime in the near future I'll post the recipe. They're super quick and easy.

CROCKPOT MACARONI AND CHEESE

2 cups macaroni
1/2 stick butter
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese*
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk

Cook macaroni. Melt butter and cheese in a saucepan over low heat. Stir all ingredients together in crockpot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook on low 2 1/2 hours. Top with 1/2 cup more cheese and cook 30 more minutes.

*Use any cheese you like. I use 1/2 sharp cheddar and 1/2 Monterrey Jack.