Beefy and cheesy macaroni

There's something about elbow macaroni... it's just perfect in every way possible.  It absorbs flavor well, cooks fast, has a great mouth feel, and always brings me back to the wonder years.  Undercooked kindergarten necklaces and overcooked yummy mush, you really can't go wrong with macaroni.  I looked in my fridge today and grabbed all of the ingredients I could find, slapped them together and voila, out came this yummy beefy concoction. Fast to make yet tastes like someone spent precious time on it, this macaroni will store well in the fridge for one whole week. I gotta keep my zombie husband, Brian happy otherwise he'll eat my brains for dinner.  Here goes the recipe.

~4 servings; 30min

Ingredients:

4 cups elbow macaroni

pot of salted boiling water

1 medium yellow onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1 lb ground beef room temperature

pinch dried parsley

generous sprinkle cajun seasoning

pinch paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1 green bell pepper

2 medium sized carrots shredded

1 medium sized ripe tomato diced

1 8 or 12 ounce can tomato sauce

1 tbs white or brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. bring salted water in pot to a boil (if you cover your pot, the water will come to a boil fast). add macaroni and cook till al dente. Drain water. do not rinse with cold water. cool to room temp. al dente pasta will continue to cook in sauce.

2. heat frying pan big enough to fit all ingredients on medium high heat. add ground beef, salt, and pepper. spread out in one layer. add seasonings. do not mix until meet has browned a bit. halfway cooked, add garlic and onions. stir to cook. 

3.  once onions caramalize, add in all other vegetables- bell pepper, carrots, tomato. cook well into meat. add  sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. mix well. cook for another few min till sauce comes thickens.  

4.  Add in macaroni into sauce, cheese, and a drizzle oil, and stir till sauce and noodles marry wait a couple of min for sauce to sit. shave your favorite cheese on top and serve. Enjoy!

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