South of the Border Macaroni and Cheese

Make a whole meal of your box of mac and cheese with the addition of ground beef. This recipe makes it a slightly picante meal, too, by the addition of a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 1 (7 1/4ounce) package  macaroni & cheese dinner mix
• 1  lb  ground sirloin beef
• 1 (10 ounce) can  ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 1 1⁄2 cups  shredded cheddar cheese (optional) or   cheese  mexican cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Make up the macaroni and cheese dinner as directed on the package.
2. Brown ground sirloin over medium-high heat, breaking up the beef. Drain fat and add the can of tomatoes with chiles. Mix well. Lower heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add one-half of the beef mixture to the prepared macaroni and cheese. Add the remaining beef to a 2-quart baking dish, spreading evenly. Gently spoon the macaroni mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle cheese over the top, if desired.
4. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
5. Variation: Instead of layering part of the crumbled beef in the bottom of the baking dish, the entire amount may be added to the prepared macaroni and cheese. Stir to combine.