My son Monte helped in the development of this recipe. It’s true kid food that grown-ups love too, because of nostalgia I used to be served this for lunch in my elementary school cafeteria. So I used Monte’s age to my advantage. He was my prep cook and taster. He measured out the water, opened the tomato sauce, measured and mixed the cheeses, and sampled as we went along. When it was finished, and we both declared it yummy, he smiled and said, “You and I have the same palate, Mom.” Yes, he really said that. It also happens to be my son Lennon’s favorite recipe in this book. I like to use Quinoa Corporation’s An]cient Harvest gluten-free elbow macaroni for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pound ground beef, bison, or dark meat turkey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 8 ounces gluten-free elbow macaroni
- 0.66 cup shredded Daiya vegan pepperjack
- 0.66 cup shredded Daiya vegan cheddar
- 0.66 cup shredded Daiya vegan mozzarella
- Freshly ground pepper
How to Make It
- Pheheat the broiler on high.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy, oven-safe pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add the spices and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more, until aromatic.
- Add the meat and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking it up into a small crumble. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt, stir, and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the water and tomato sauce, increase the heat to medium-high, add the pasta, and stir well. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium again. Simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Meanwhile, toss together the three cheeses. Add 1 cup of the cheese mixture to the pasta. Stir, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Top with the remaining cup of cheese. Broil 6 inches from the heat source for about 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is just starting to brown. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Let rest for a few minutes this puppy is hot!