Ingredients
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2 (7 1/4 ounce) boxes kraft macaroni & cheese dinner mix, not prepared
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1 lb lean ground beef
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1 onion, chopped
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3 garlic cloves, minced
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1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
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1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (I like the petit cut)
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1 tablespoon mild chili powder
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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2 tablespoons butter
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1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, to garnish
Instructions
- Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until tender; drain.
- Mix cooked macaroni with butter, stirring well.
- While macaroni is cooking, cook ground beef, garlic and onion in a large skillet until beef is browned and cooked through.
- Drain any accumulated fat.
- Add chili powder, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes (with their juice), mixing well.
- Bring meat mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until macaroni is done.
- Mix meat mixture with cooked buttered macaroni (do NOT add any additional milk as package suggests).
- Sprinkle contents of cheese packets into pasta and stir until blended.
- Serve garnished with grated cheddar, if desired.