Monday, September 8, 2014

Out of the Box

School is in session here. That means, homework, after-school activities, quicker dinners, and earlier bedtimes. The quicker dinners, for me, are the more difficult adjustment. Without those lazy summer days, I feel more pressure to get dinner on the table by a certain time. And if I end up working late, that means having to put dinner together fast.

Now, when I was first learning to cook, before I discovered 30-minute meals, most of the recipes I made came from either the back of a can, a soup mix envelope, or a 4- or 6-ingredient cookbook. These recipes have I have long since abandoned, scoffing at their simple ingredient list and turning to more complicated recipes that will challenge my skills in the kitchen.

But sometimes, you gotta go back to the basics.

And as I lamented while trying to come up with last week's menu, my husband suggested I go through some of my older recipes. They may be simple, but I can get them on the table much faster than what some of my usual dishes.

And he was right.

So with school now in session, if there are any busy weeknight ahead of you, you might want to bookmark this recipe. It's fast, easy, and tasty. What more could you want?

Chili Mac Skillet
Recipe from Del Monte

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz. ground beef
  • 1 15.25 oz. can corn
  • 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 4 oz. diced green chilies, drained
  • 3/4 cup uncooked elbow macaroni, or other small, short-cut pasta
  • 2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

  1. Cook beef in large skillet until brown; drain. Stir in corn, undrained tomatoes, beans, chilies, macaroni, chili powder, and water.
  2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered 12 to 15 minutes or until macaroni is tender.
  3. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, if desired. Cover and let stand 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Note from the Kitchen: I made a corn bread and we stirred some into our individual servings. It was delicious, and I highly recommend it.

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