Tonight, I arrived home with nary a molecule of energy or patience to cook a huge dinner. So I plumbed the cabinets and came up with a new recipe: Vegetarian Macaroni-Beef Skillet!
The cooking process was easy enough to give my tired brain a break tonight, and for that I was incredibly grateful. I cooked a pot of macaroni pasta, and as it cooked, I heated up my Le Creuset French oven with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, then added veggie ground “beef.” Once it heated up, I added two cans of tomatoes with green chilies (aka Rotel – but let the record show that I purchased the store brand), a jar of sliced mushrooms, and some cumin, dried minced onion, garlic powder, and cayenne powder. Then I mixed everything up well and let it continue to simmer until the pasta was cooked through.
Once that was the case, I drained the macaroni and added it to the Le Creuset, mixing everything together again. Finally, I added about a cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese to the top of the pasta, let it melt for about five minutes, and then dinner was served!
LeeLee and I dug right in tonight and helped ourselves to two servings apiece, I must confess. (I’m justifying that by this being a 20-mile long run week, but I’m not quite sure that justification is accurate.) And we both loved the way this meal turned out! The macaroni gave the dinner some heft, while the spicy tomatoes provided a kick to each bite. And the spices themselves completed the meal beautifully, making it much more well-rounded in the end.
In short, we’ll certainly add the vegetarian macaroni and beef skillet to our regular rotation! Glorious.
The recipe’s below. :)
VEGETARIAN MACARONI-BEEF SKILLET
Serves four (or more)
What you’ll need:
1 package elbow macaroni
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 package vegetarian ground beef
2 cans tomatoes with green chilies
1 jar sliced mushrooms
2 tsp. dried diced onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cayenne powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 cup Mexican blend cheese or vegan cheese, shredded
Set a pot of water to High heat, and when it’s boiling nicely, add the macaroni and cook according to package directions.
As the macaroni heats, heat the olive oil in a pan on Medium, and then add the beef, cooking until softened and heated through. Next, add the tomatoes, mushrooms, and spices, stirring until combined. Continue to heat on Medium-Low until the macaroni is ready.
Once the macaroni is cooked, add it to the pan with the beef and stir thoroughly to combine. Then add the cheese on top, let it melt for five minutes or so, and serve!
Enjoy!
:)