Busy 24/7? Make this Dish in 25/8: Beef and Macaroni

Requiring eight ingredients and about 25 minutes of active preparation time (though just three steps), this meal isn't quite as easy as many of the recipes I post here, but it is still quite simple to make (I wouldn't make it otherwise...)--and the result is savory and delicious. It's also a great dish for a cold, winter night.

You can find the original recipe (posted below is my own, slightly modified version) on page 59 of Fix-It and Forget-It Recipes for Entertaining: Slow Cooker Favorites for All the Year Round by Phyllis Pellman Good and Dawn J. Ranck.

Beef and Macaroni
Active Time: 20-25 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-2 1/2 hours
Makes 4-5 servings

You Will Need:
1 lb. lean, ground beef
half a green pepper, chopped
1 cup cooked macaroni (use whole grain to make the dish healthier)
1/2 tspn. dried sweet basil
1/2 tspn. dried thyme
1 tspn. Worcestershire sauce
salt
10 3/4 oz. can cheddar cheese soup

The eight ingredients required for Slow Cooker Beef and Macaroni are pictured above. To increase the nutritional value of this meal, use whole grain macaroni and extra lean ground beef.

Process:
1. Brown beef and green pepper in skillet. Drain any grease and place meat and green pepper in slow cooker.
2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
3. Cover. Cook on high 2-2 1/2 hours.

This meal is ready in just three easy steps. Brown the beef and pepper, combine everything in the slow cooker, and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Voila!

Serving Suggestion:
Serve with applesauce and rolls or fruit salad and rolls.

Tips:
I sometimes complete steps 1 and 2 the night before I plan to actually eat this dish, and store the mixture in the fridge overnight and throughout the next day. Then, as soon as I get home from work in the afternoon, I simply remove the dish from the fridge, plug in the slow cooker, and turn it on. I have about two hours to walk the dogs, do a little grading, do a little cleaning, and before I know it, dinner is served!