Family recipe for Macaroni and Beef
This recipe never disappoints. These are the top reasons why we adore it:
- a generous amount of pasta that kids and adults adore
- find thinly sliced beef in the sauce that you can enjoy with every bite
- comforting meal for any time of the year
- a simple and quick prep, beginner-friendly
- feel free to store in the fridge for a couple of days
- we bought all the ingredients in our local Lidl
Essential ingredients
This recipe has zero fancy ingredients, and you can find all of them in your local Lidl store. Grab the full recipe at the bottom of this post, or read more about the ingredients here.
Meat - in some recipes, you can find ground meat, but at home, we always eat Macaroni and Beef with sliced beef. The best type of meat to use is beef round or chuck. We prefer slicing it thinly, so using thin beef round steak is the best option.
Pasta - choose macaroni for this recipe as they are best for this type of sauce.
Tomato —in our humble opinion, there's no macaroni and beef without tomatoes. In this recipe, we're using tomato paste, smooth tomato passata, and diced canned tomatoes for some texture.
Spices : We always use ground paprika, marjoram, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Nothing fancy, but it works like magic.
Storing and Freezing
There is a simple way to store this delicious Macaroni and Beef.
You can keep the chilled Macaroni and Beef in the fridge for up to 3 days. Before serving, reheat in the microwave oven or using a pot. Add water if necessary to create creamy pasta.
Feel free to store the sauce without the pasta in the fridge. You can defrost the sauce, reheat it well, and stir in the cooked macaroni. Add the cooled meat sauce to an airtight container, seal it, and place it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
How to make Macaroni and Beef at home (video)
Check this short video and learn to make Macaroni and Beef at home.
Next, try these recipes for pasta with meat
- Creamy Chicken Meatball Pasta with Greens
- Pasta Amatriciana
- Easy Macaroni with Ground Beef
- Chicken Florentine Pasta
- Spaghetti and Mini Meatballs
Made in collaboration with Lidl Slovenija d.o.o. k.d.
METHOD
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pan-fry the meat
Cut the beef round steak into small pieces. Peel and dice the onion. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and diced onion. Pan-fry for 5 minutes, then add the meat. Cook for 6 - 8 minutes for the meat to brown and cook. Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, paprika powder, and marjoram. Stir and cook for a minute.
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cook the meat sauce
Add the tomato passata and water to the meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the bay leaves and diced tomatoes. Stir, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until the meat is tender.
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cook the pasta
Place a pot with salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to the package instructions or until al dente. Preserve some pasta cooking water.
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Macaroni and Beef
Remove the bay leaves from the meat sauce. Add the cooked macaroni to the meat sauce and add the preserved pasta water. Toss is to combine, divide between plates, and serve.
