"kicked Up" Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1-2 teaspoon seasoning salt or salt
• black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 stalks celery, finely chopped

• 2 (225 g) boxes macaroni & cheese dinner mix (I use Kraft)

• 2 (10 ounce) cans mushrooms, drained
• 2 tablespoons HP steak sauce (or to taste)
• 1 dash Tabasco sauce (optional)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 1 (10 ounce) can tomato soup, undiluted

• 2 (10 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1-2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (optional)
• milk or half-and-half cream (to thin sauce)

Directions

1. 1

   Cook the pasta from the Kraft dinner until firm-tender (do not over cook, leave firm!) drain and rinse under cold water, set aside the cheese packages and the cooked macaroni.

2. 2

   In a large frypan or Dutch oven brown the ground beef with onion, garlic and celery until beef is no longer pink; drain fat.

3. 3

   Add in the mushrooms and the cooked macaroni to the ground beef; mix to combine.

4. 4

   In a bowl, mix together mushroom soup, tomato soup, HP steak sauce, Tabasco sauce (if using) green pepper, Parmesan cheese (if using) and the two packages of cheese mix; mix well to combine.

5. 5

   Add the mixture to the ground beef in the pan and stir to combine.

6. 6

   Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes; reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding in milk to thin sauce (I use about 1/4-1/3 cup).

7. 7

   Delicious!