We quite enjoy Philly Cheesesteaks, and we also quite enjoy Mac and Cheese…so we thought it was past due to combine the two into one glorious meal! We began by picking our veggie ingredients, and we went with some sandwich classics: Green peppers, onions, and mushrooms. We then employed ground meat as our steak component since it would be easier to break up and evenly distribute throughout the Mac and Cheese than chunks or slices of beef would.
From there, we still had to pick a cheese and a pasta shape. The pasta shape was the easier of the two decisions since we only had rotini on hand..but we would have picked it even if we had other options since it traps the cheese so well. Perhaps that’s why it’s the only shape we had on hand? Then, we finished with cheese choice. A traditional cheesesteak has a product known as “whiz,” but we are decidedly pro-Real Cheese, so we went a different route. We wanted something salty and strong enough to hold up to the other flavours, but that also melts well. Cheddar seemed like the natural choice given our requisite characteristics, so that’s what we used! The end result of all the above ingredients was a really fun macaroni and cheese dish and a lack of leftovers!
Time: 40 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Pasta. We prefer rotini for maximum cheese coating.
- Ground Beef
- Bell Peppers
- Onion
- Mushrooms
- 2 Tablespoons of Butter
- 2 Tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup of Milk
- Shredded Cheddar
Method:
- Fill a pasta pot with water, and begin to bring it to a boil.
- Dice your peppers and onions.
- Heat some butter in a large pot (we went with an enameled Dutch Oven), and when it’s melted, add your peppers and onions. Sauté until they soften.
- As your peppers cook, clean and cut your mushrooms (sliced or quartered depending on your preference). When your peppers and onions are ready, add your mushrooms and beef to the pot, and cook until all of the liquids evaporate, and your meat is fully browned.
- Add your pasta to the water, and cook until soft.
- When your meat and veggies are ready, scoop your flour into the pan, and stir to combine and coat your ingredients.
- Add your milk to the pot, and allow to thicken a bit. Then, add in your cheese, and let it melt.
- Drain your cooked pasta, and pour it into your pot. Stir to combine all of your ingredients and coat with cheese. Add more milk if you need to thicken further until your sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
