Thursday, September 11, 2014

Cheesy Hamburger Macaroni

With our mass load of groceries and huge budget loss last week, I decided it was time to start meal planning again. Last Friday, I went online and found recipes for each day of the week that I have to cook (every day but Thursday and Saturday, those are eat at Grandma's days). I once again turned to Pintrest to find recipes, and one of the ones I found was THIS, a nice comforting meal.


I didn't really read the recipe thoroughly the first time, so when I went to make it and realized dinnertime was close but the noodles had to be cooked in the sauce for an hour, I said uh oh and improvised. The sauce I made from a can of tomatoes with garlic and herbs, I put it in the blender for half a minute as the recipe suggested. To it I added oregano, paprika (but not enough to alter the taste, next time I will use cayenne pepper, I think. ), salt and pepper, a handful of grated cheese, and the cooked hamburger. While the pasta cooked, I let the sauce simmer to thicken. 


When the past was cooked, I mixed it all together and put it in a baking dish. On top I sprinkled a mozza-cheddar mix and then I stuck it under the broiler for a few minutes. The masses were starting to grumble, so I didn't keep it there long enough to brown, just melt nicely. 


A healthy toddler sized portion, she only ate about half of it. No matter how you dress it up, beef is beef and little miss does not like it. Mr Picky, on the other hand, liked it and went back for seconds. Although he said it tasted the same as when I made it last time. One of his favourite meals is what he calls goulash, which is hamburger, macaroni and a can of tomato soup mixed together, similar but nothing like this :-P Men. I really liked the spicy difference and will definitely be making it again. 

I am having a hard time finding meals for next week, everything seems to call for an ingredient I do not have, and I have zero budget this week. The only thing I can pick up are a few fresh veggies that I can use a gift card for, from a produce store that doesn't sell boxes, bottles and cans. I will have to figure out some fancy substitutions, I guess. 

Have a good week, everyone!!

~Natasha.

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