Hamburger Helper

• total time: 24 minutes

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil to fry the ground beef

500 grams lean ground beef

400 grams macaroni uncooked

3¾ cup beef stock salted or low sodium

3 garlic cloves minced

1 shallot minced

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 can chopped tomatoes 398mL can

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Garnish:

green onions

sour cream

Directions

Cook the meat: begin by grabbing a large frying pan, add the olive oil and set to medium/high heat. Add the ground beef and shallot and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the meat has been cooked through.

If there's lots of excess fat, drain most of it.

Add the seasonings: reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and seasonings. Let cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes: next, add the tomato paste and let cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns and deeper red color.

Then, add your can of tomatoes and stir to combine.

Add the broth & pasta: add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the macaroni. Cover and let simmer over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, or until the macaroni is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

I stir it every few minutes just to avoid it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the cheese: while your pasta is cooking, shred the cheese. Once the macaroni is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed turn off the heat and add the cheese. Stir to combine.

Taste and adjust for salt as needed, especially if you're using unsalted stock.

Serve: garnish with green onions and a dollop of sour cream if desired.