Barbecue Macaroni Beef

I have landed in the land of cornfields and you know what that means? I finally get to cook again! I quickly dived into my very few cookbooks for ideas and honestly, I wasn't that impressed with what I found. Nothing seemed to satisfy my need to feed. I'm blaming the cold that seems to slowly taking up residence in the back of my throat and nose. Bah!

So I found this recipe and tweaked it to my liking as I felt the original recipe just called for too much barbecue sauce (28 ounces!) and didn't call for the veggies to be cooked. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be chewing on soft macaroni...warm ground beef...and then practically breaking my tooth off on some hard celery. No thanks! It also didn't call for any type of seasoning. Anyone who knows me and knows my cooking knows that I LOVE seasoning, especially pepper and garlic powder! I just had to add seasonings into this recipe. :)

I hope you enjoy this quick meal with simple ingredients. Overall with our trip to the grocery store last night and this meal cost $8.22 (not including the cost of spices if you might use them/need them or BBQ sauce as we already had some) and the recipe says it serves 4. My biggest pot is very full and could easily do 6 servings or more! It's a inexpensive meal even if you calculate in spices and BBQ sauce it'd be under $10 total! :)

Barbecue Macarnoi Beef

adapted from Taste of Home: The Busy Family Cookbook

8oz. elbow macaroni

1lb. ground chuck

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Dean Jacob's 4-1 Gourmet Seasonings (using: Char Grill'n Broil Spices & Herbs), to taste

Cook the macaroni as directed on package. Drain and place back in large pot with some olive oil (optional) to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, in large skillet cook beef over medium heat. Season with the Char Grill'n Broil Spices Herbs as desired, or use another seasoning. Drain the meat and place in same pot as noodles. Stir together.

In same skillet heat some olive oil and cook chopped vegetables until soft. Add salt and pepper to vegetables if desired. Add to noodle and meat mixture.

Depending on how much barbecue sauce you like, I'd start with a little at a time and add as little or as much as you'd like. I used about 8-9oz. of my 18oz. bottle and was satisfied. Again, it's all about personal taste.

Heat through and serve with buttered bread! Enjoy!

*I am in no way affiliated with any of the products or websites linked. I was not paid to use the products linked. These are items that I personally use and like and would like to share.