Yes, our style. Sometimes, even before we try the original recipe, there is just something about it that says to us, “This must change.” And our tinkering worked out.
The original (see link above) has only 1 cup of macaroni matched up with one pound of beef, which certainly cuts down the number of portions. We like to cook big dishes that leave leftovers afterward, so we increased the amount of macaroni. Then the chili part we doubled, and the Velveeta we increased from 1 to 3 Mini-Blocks.
Please notice the all-caps word, "DRAINED", in both places where the diced tomatoes are mentioned. It will save you trouble. (I told someone to put in the entire can with its liquid, which was wrong. We were in luck that at the point in the recipe we were, we could spend time boiling the liquid almost all the way down, which was a lot more reasonable.) I made the error so you don’t have to!
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 cans (15.5 ounces) chili beans (we used Bush’s Best with Hot Chili Sauce)
2 cans (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, DRAINED
3 Velveeta Mini-Blocks (4 ounces each), cut in ½" cubes
- Cook macaroni as directed, omitting salt. Meanwhile…
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in Dutch oven or large, deep skillet; add onion & green peppers; cook till soft.
- Add to beef and brown it well.
- Add beans with their sauce, and DRAINED tomatoes. Return to boil; simmer 5 minutes or until hot.
- Add cubed Velveeta, stirring occasionally until cheese starts to melt.
- Drain macaroni; add to large bowl with meat mixture; mix lightly. Serve.
Recipes out of the Blond Box 