Italian Macaroni Bake from Kira's Recipes

Notes

This is super yummy and easy to make. I like to use Tillamook thick-cut shredded cheese because it melts and bubbles up really nicely. You could omit the ground beef to make it a vegetarian dish. Last time I made it using cannelini beans, although didn't like the taste of those. Try kidney beans or lentils next time.

Ingredients

1 1/4c elbow macaroni 1/2 lb ground beef 1/2 onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 small can mushrooms, chopped 1 zucchini, spiralized & chopped 1 tsp olive oil 1 sm clove garlic, chopped 1 can Del Monte diced tomatos with italian herbs & garlic 1 can Contadina tomato sauce with italian herbs Tillamook thick-cut shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2-1 cup Black pepper and oregano to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a saucepan of water and 1/4tsp salt to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al-dente, about 5 minutes. While pasta cooks, sautée beef in an oven-safe skillet until cooked; drain and remove beef from pan. Add olive oil, onions and bell pepper; sautee until vegetables are softened. Add mushrooms, zucchini and garlic and stir; cook about 1 minute. Stir in cooked beef, then add diced tomatos and tomato sauce and stir. Finally, stir in the cooked macaroni. Sprinkle with a little pepper and dried oregano, to taste. Stir some of the cheddar into the skillet, then sprinkle shredded cheddar on top of the whole skillet. Place skillet in oven and cook at 400F for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with garlic toast!
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Servings: 4

Serving Size: 1 cup