Ground beef and tomatoes make a hearty sauce for this macaroni dish. Add sharp Cheddar cheese before baking, then finish to a golden brown under the broiler.
INGREDIENTS (for 7 servings):
- 2 (12 ounce) packages elbow macaroni
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
- 4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 onion, chopped (optional)
PREPARATION:
In a large pot with boiling salted water cook macaroni pasta until al dente. Drain.
In a large skillet cook ground beef until no pink remains. Drain excess grease.
In a large bowl add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, cooked ground beef, cooked and drained pasta, one package of the grated cheese, and mix well. Pour into a 2 quart casserole baking dish. Spread remaining package of grated cheese over the top.
In a 425 degree F (220 degree F) oven bake until the cheese on top is melted, then broil until the cheese is golden brown.