The theme of my day yesterday was spontaneity.
Cypress and I were out and about running errands while the twins were at school… and I thought ‘well snap! It’s basically lunch time, and we’re in town… let’s see if daddy-o wants to get lunch instead of eating the Ramen noodles I sent with him to work’. #wifeoftheyear
So I called him, short notice, and he was able to sneak away from his desk early to snag some lunch at Sub City with Cypress and I!
The next spontaneous thing that happened was when I was making supper… I impulsively thought to myself: ‘I should really blog about this recipe. It’s our absolute FAVORITE’.
If you’ve been reading my blog for very long, you know I don’t share many recipe’s unless they’re reeeeeeally good. I think I’ve shared 4 in the past 6 years of blogging. I prefer to leave that food-blogging business to the pros… like our amazing foodie contributor Cupcakes with Sprinkles.
But after I wrote that post on how we only go grocery shopping once a month, there were several readers that requested that I share some family-friendly meals here on the bloggity. And even though food-blogging is WAY outside my sawdust-covered comfort zone, truth-be-told I’m a pretty damn good cook too. So why not snap a photo or two when I’m making some of our favorite meals?!
That’s my disclaimer for this awkward food post.
Boil 2 cups of elbow noodles until al dente. Brown a pound of hamburger, drain the fat, and throw in a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of Rotell.
Mix everything together and put half the mixture into a casserole dish. Sprinkle on a handful of cheese and a half can of French Fried Onions, then dump the second half of the noodle mixture on and sprinkle another handful of cheese on top! Bake for 15 minutes, then sprinkle on the remaining French Fried Onions, and bake another 5 minutes. BAM. So good.
My friend Stephanie gave me this recipe when Nick and I were newly weds, and all these years it has been our absolute favorite meal. Then when we had kids, it became their favorite meal too (and made us feel justified in eating elbow noodles).
The original recipe calls for a can of tomato soup instead of Rotell, but we like the extra zing of the green chilies in the Rotell. And I like the colorful bits of tomato that make the meal appear to be more healthy than it really is (HELLO CHEESE, CARBS, and FRIED ONIONS).
That’s another reason why I’m hesitant to share recipes here on the blog… people can be so judgmental about what people eat! We’re just regular folks that eat a lot of casseroles that contain noodles or rice, some kind of meat… and almost always CHEESE. I steam some veggies on the side, and feel that it’s a pretty well-rounded meal. So that’s that!
Here’s the recipe for ya! (EASIEST HOMEMADE MEAL EVA)
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Cheesy Cruncheroni
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles (or any noodle!)
1 lb ground beef
1 can Rotell
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or any cheese)
1 can French Fried Onions
Prepare macaroni according to package directions. In large skillet, brown hamburger and drain. Add soup, Rotell, and cooked macaroni. Place half the mixture in a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese and half the onions. Layer the rest of the macaroni mixture on top of that, then the rest of the cheese. Bake at 350* for 15 minutes. Top with remaining onions and bake 5 more minutes. Enjoy!
Caution! This meal is not gluten-free, vegetarian, paleo friendly, etc. For everyone else? You know what you’re having for dinner tonight… right?!
If you’re curious about how a non-planning-type such as myself gets groceries only once a month, check out this post from my archives!
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