Pizza Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
  • ½ lb (8 oz) elbow pasta, or any small pasta shape you like
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb (16 oz) lean ground beef (see Note below)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups milk (I used 2%)
  • 1-1¼ cups pizza sauce (I used my recipe for Chunky Pizza Sauce)
  • 6 oz sharp white cheddar, shredded (about 2 cups freshly shredded cheese, not packed)
  • 2 oz low-fat cream cheese
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions; drain and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the garlic and beef, turn the heat up to medium-high, and cook until the beef is browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the meat. (At this point, drain off the fat if your ground beef wasn’t lean.)
  4. Turn heat down to medium, add the bay leaf, Italian herb seasoning, salt, pepper, and flour and cook 1 minute.
  5. Stir in the milk and pizza sauce, and cook 2 minutes; add the cheeses and stir constantly until it comes to a simmer.
  6. Add the pasta noodles and cook until warmed, about 1 minute.
  7. Serve with any toppings you like, such as fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Ground Beef: If you don’t have lean ground beef, just drain out the fat once the meat is browned before moving to the next step.
Recipe by An Edible Mosaic™ at https://www.anediblemosaic.com/pizza-mac-cheese/