Frankie’s Macaroni Casserole
I have to tell you something… I’ve been having a threesome for years…! First, I had a serious love affair as a child and eventually it developed into my culinary threesome…
Cheese, Pasta and I have been together for a very long time! I’ve always been crazy about cheese for as long as I can remember although I’ve tried to break up with it many times… Somehow, each and every time we get back together no matter what. When Mom was making pasta for dinner, I was so happy and later on as a young adult, my favorite thing to cook was pasta dishes with cheese. This love triangle has been there for decades and although I enjoy all kinds of cuisine, pasta night still has a special place in my heart…
I knew very little about cooking when I first moved out on my own. Besides pasta dishes, Shepherd’s Pie, Beef Bourguignon and Meatloaf were my main recipes. Interestingly enough, I didn’t have any desire to cook as a child or a teenager. I wanted to be out and about, play sports and read books… funny how things can change. Therefore because of my lack of interest in the kitchen department, my mother never really forced the issue. Unfortunately, at some point, a girl has to eat and either by desperation or necessity, I had to learn how to cook.
I surprised myself on how much I actually enjoyed making dishes and from then on, food, nutrition and cooking became a part of my life. I slowly started making my own recipes and although most were not successful on the first attempt, I kept cooking until they were just right – I guess that’s my stubbornness being an Aries… lol! That is when I came up with my Frankie’s Macaroni Casserole!
This macaroni casserole is the perfect example of creating a recipe and learning from it. It’s one of my favorite comfort foods and it definitely delivers! There’s nothing fancy about this dish and it will never make it to a formal dinner party but boy is it ever good!!! Yes, guilty as charged, I place processed cheese on top and I cannot replace it with any another kind! This is not the kind of cheese I use in my recipes but there are times, like this one, that this is THE cheese to have – I also use this cheese when I’m craving “grilled cheese sandwiches” along with Tomato Soup… yeah baby!
Anyway, so with (definitely with) or without cheese, this is the perfect recipe to have around this fall. It’s a pretty huge macaroni casserole but the great advantage of this is you just have to reheat the leftovers and honestly, it tastes even better the day after – a delicious culinary love triangle!
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other tasty pasta dish recipes…
– Tuna Casserole
– Zucchini Pork Penne
– Lady Athena’s Rockin’ Crab Shell Pasta
– Spicy Sausage Penne all’Arrabbiata
– Ultimate 8 Cheese Vegetable Lasagna
– Potato Gnocchi
and for even more pasta and pizza recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Pasta & Pizza
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Frankie's Macaroni Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
- 2 tbsp. butter tips & tricks
- 2 cups red onions, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups celery, finely diced tips & tricks
- 1 cup red peppers, finely chopped
- 1 cup yellow peppers, finely chopped
- 1 cup orange peppers, finely chopped
- 8 large button mushrooms, washed and sliced
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 2 lbs. lean ground beef
- 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 can (10 ounces) condensed tomato soup see Recipe
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes such as San Marzano, crushed
- 2 cups tomato juice
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar, such as demerara
- 1 tsp. dried oregano Footnote
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning see Recipe
- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. hot sauce, such as Cholula®
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper *optional
- 6 slices processed cheese such as Velveeta® *optional
- 2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley tips & tricks
Directions
- Add peppers and sauté until almost tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir well. Cover and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until it reduces by half.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the vegetables into a Dutch oven; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Return the saucepan to the heat and add ground beef; cook until no longer pink. Just before it’s done, add pressed garlic; sauté for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a colander to drain any excess fat.
- Transfer the drained meat to the vegetables before adding tomato soup, crushed tomatoes, tomato juice, and seasonings; mix well.
- Cover the top with cheese slices and sprinkle with parsley.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes or until heated through.
- Turn to broil and cook until the cheese is golden, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Notes
Don't forget to rate and comment on this recipe!
I’ve been making Mac and cheese for years but yours looks a whole lot better and tastier. Thank you Frankie
Thank you Donald, that’s very sweet of you to say!