Macaroni and Beef

Macaroni and beef is a pretty common mealtime combination. We have dozens of ground beef casserole recipes on Taste of Home, and a lot of them include macaroni. So what sets this one apart?

Well, it’s not a standard-issue casserole. Most of those casserole recipes start by cooking the beef in a skillet to make crumbles, but with this one, the entire dish happens in your skillet. With a total cooking time of 30 minutes, and just one pan to wash, it’s a perfect weeknight meal.

Ingredients for Macaroni and Beef

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

• Ground beef: Ground beef provides the dish with its base flavor and most of its protein.
• Onion: The chopped onion gives the beef and the tomato sauce a pungent, savory flavor.
• Tomato sauce: Tomato sauce helps tie the whole dish together. The macaroni also absorbs some of the sauce’s flavor as it cooks.
• Macaroni: Simple elbow macaroni is perfect for this kind of dish, because its hollow shape helps it trap and hold sauce.
• Green pepper: Sweet green bell peppers bring a bright vegetable flavor to the dish, as well as a visual contrast.
• Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire sauce is a complex flavor that’s tart and peppery, and it brings lots of savory umami notes.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the beef

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef and onions until the meat is no longer pink, stirring and breaking the meat into crumbles. Drain any excess fat from the skillet.

Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients and cook

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

Stir in the tomato sauce, water, macaroni, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Bring the skillet to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, until the macaroni is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally to prevent sticking, and add more water if needed.

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

Macaroni and Beef Variations

• Go beyond the beef: Ordinary ground beef is a simple and low-cost starting point, but you can easily change things up. Consider starting instead with a “meatloaf” mix of beef and pork, for instance. You could also opt for making the crumbles with your favorite fresh sausage, Italian sausage being an obvious choice. For a meatless option, old-school textured soy or modern faux-ground products from companies like Beyond or Impossible work well in this kind of dish.
• Change up the sauce: This recipe calls for plain tomato sauce, but changing your sauce changes the dish. Store-bought sauces come in flavor profiles to fit every taste, or you could choose from our selection of pasta sauce recipes.
• Nacho-ize your skillet beef: Another way to elevate this satisfying but basic dish is to give it a nacho-style spin. Add a jar of salsa (or some homemade salsa) to the sauce, and sprinkle the macaroni and beef with a generous topping of cheese just before it’s done. Add your choice of nacho toppings, or put them on the table and let everyone choose their favorites.

How to Store Macaroni and Beef

Any leftovers should be transferred to one or more food-safe storage containers with tight-fitting lids and kept in your refrigerator.

How long will macaroni and beef keep?

As long as you put any leftovers in your fridge immediately after the meal, they should remain safe for four to five days. You can also freeze the leftovers in meal-sized portions, in which case they’ll remain good for one to three months, depending on how well they’re wrapped.

Can I make this macaroni and beef recipe in advance?

You certainly can. You can prep it earlier in the day and refrigerate it until mealtime, or make it a day ahead. Some added resting time actually makes the sauce taste better. The only downside is that the pasta will continue to absorb moisture from the sauce, so it will be bigger and softer by the time you serve it. You may need to add a small amount of extra moisture when you reheat the meal, to compensate for that. A small can of tomato juice is a good “cheat” to lean on when you’re reheating pasta.

Macaroni and Beef Tips

Melissa Patterson for Taste of Home

Isn’t 25 minutes a long time for elbow macaroni to cook?

It would be if you were cooking the pasta in plain water, but cooking it in sauce is different. That’s partly because the sauce is thicker than plain water, which slows absorption. More important, the sauce is acidic, which slows the starches’ absorption of liquid. That’s why recipes for baked beans usually include acidic tomatoes or molasses (or both), which helps the beans hold their shape through the long, slow cooking process.

Can I finish this in the oven instead of on the stovetop?

Sure thing! This recipe is pretty unfussy, but it does require some hands-on attention during the simmering stage. It’s essentially a stovetop macaroni and beef casserole, so finishing it in the oven makes perfect sense. Of course, you’ll want to use an oven-safe skillet. Once the mixture comes to a boil, slide the skillet, lid and all, into a preheated 350°F oven. It will cook in roughly the same time, but your hands and eyes will be free for other tasks.

What size skillet do I need for this?

This recipe should fit in any standard 9- or 10-inch skillet, as long as the sides are at least an inch high. The larger size, or one with taller sides, allows more room for stirring. If your skillets are all shallow, you can use one with a larger diameter or opt for a Dutch oven instead. If your choices are limited, and the skillet you have doesn’t give you much room for stirring, keep back one can of tomato sauce. Add it gradually as the pasta absorbs the water, so you can stir without splashing onto your stove.