This Tex-Mex style Kraft Dinner with Ground Beef is a simple one-pot meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. It only has six ingredients, but it's full of great flavors.
Can't get enough of simple meals? Try my Tomato Paste Soup next!
π§ About This Recipe
I've been making this "grown-up" version of Kraft Dinner since I was a kid. It's simple but elevated, and even adults will love it!
The best part? You only need one skillet for the whole recipe. No need to cook the macaroni in a separate pot like other recipes suggest; you can do it all in the same pan (a trick I learned years ago from making Hamburger Helper).
Aside from the standard Kraft dinner ingredients, you only need three additional ingredients: ground beef, taco seasoning, and canned tomatoes.
This recipe is very flexible and can be made with a variety of substitutions, which I've listed below so you can easily try it at home.
π§ Ingredients
- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner: We'll be using two boxes today.
- Butter: Standard Kraft dinner ingredient; we'll need one tablespoon.
- Milk: Standard Kraft dinner ingredient; we'll need one cup.
- Lean Ground Beef: Lean or extra-lean ground beef is preferred, but regular ground beef will work, too (we'll be draining the fat anyway).
- Taco Seasoning: I'm using a single packet of Old El Paso taco seasoning, which is about 24g. Feel free to choose one based on your spice tolerance.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: We'll use one 14-ounce can. You can also use two medium fresh tomatoes, half a tin of tomato paste, or 1 cup of salsa. Basically, we just need some form of tomato to balance the creamy flavors.
πͺ Instructions
STEP 1: Cook ground beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes until it is no longer pink. Use your spatula to break up large chunks. Drain the fat.
STEP 2: Add the taco seasoning and cook for 1 minute.
STEP 3: Stir in 2 ΒΌ cups of hot water, milk, butter, canned tomatoes, and uncooked macaroni. Bring to a boil.
STEP 4: Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 9-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the macaroni is uncooked, add a little bit more water and continue cooking for another minute.
STEP 5: Add powdered cheese and mix well. Transfer to serving dish and serve while hot. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days!
π¨βπ³ Top Tip
The key to this recipe is to cook the pasta perfectly. The Kraft Dinner box recommends 7-8 minutes, but I found that to be too short because we're cooking the macaroni with a lot of other ingredients. I recommend 9-10 minutes.
My fool-proof way for perfectly cooked pasta is to just test a single piece of macaroni at 30-second intervals near the end of cooking. I never overcook it this way!
π Variations
The sky's the limit with Kraft Dinner and Ground Beef; feel free to:
- Make it cheesier: Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese or a couple of slices of American cheese at the end of cooking.
- Make it a casserole: Cover the top with cheese and breadcrumbs and bake it for 18-20 minutes at 375Β°F.
- Add spice: Use spicy taco seasoning or add Β½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Add greens: Add your favorite greens, like peas and broccoli, along with the uncooked macaroni.
π Recipe
Kraft Dinner With Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 ounce package taco seasoning
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes (or 1 cup salsa)
- 2 boxes Kraft mac and cheese
Instructions
- Cook ground beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes until it's no longer pink. Drain the fat.
- Add the taco seasoning and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in 2 ΒΌ cups of hot water, milk, butter, canned tomatoes, and uncooked macaroni. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 9-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the macaroni is uncooked, add a little bit more water and continue cooking for another minute.
- Add powdered cheese and mix well. Transfer to serving dish and serve while hot.
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