with Green Salad
Yield: 2

Adapted from: Home Chef

This classic American comfort food is all grown up. Ground beef turned into a creamy, cheesy tomato sauce mixed with tender elbow macaroni. Shredded cheese melts onto the piping-hot pasta while a crisp green side salad with radishes accompanies.

Update: The American Chop Suey is real good, but the Dijon dressing on the salad is terrible. It clashes with the pasta sauce. Update shows a simple Italian dressing, but you can substitute any dressing you prefer.
Time: 30 minutes

• 4oz elbow macaroni
• 10oz ground beef
• 2radishes
• 1romaine heart
• 1TBS Dijon mustard
• 8oz tomato sauce
• 1tsp BTB beef (or beef stock concentrate)
• ¼oz steak seasoning (see below)
• ¼tsp sugar
• 2TBS cream cheese
• 2oz shredded cheddar-jack blend
• salt & pepper
• 3TBS olive oil
• 1TBS red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1tsp Italian Seasoning (Update)

Cook pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente, 8–10 minutes. Reserve ¾ cup cooking water and drain pasta. Return pasta to pot and cover to keep warm.

Cook beef:

Heat 1 TBS oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add beef and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until well browned, 5–7 minutes.

Prep salad:

Meanwhile, thinly slice radishes. Cut romaine into 1-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk to combine Dijon mustard, 3 TBS oil, and 1 TBS vinegar.

Update: In a large bowl whisk 3 TBS oil, 1 TBS vinegar, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make sauce:

To skillet, add tomato sauce, BTB (or broth concentrate), steak spice, ½ cup reserved pasta water, and ¼ tsp sugar. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream cheese and half of the shredded cheese, stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in pasta and thin out sauce with reserved pasta water, 1 TBS at a time, as needed.

Finish and Serve:

Add lettuce and radishes to bowl with dressing and toss to combine. Spoon pasta into bowls and top with remaining cheese. Serve alongside salad.

Steak Spice Blend

Makes 2 1/4 tsp

1/8          tsp red chili flakes
1/8          tsp crushed coriander seed
1/4          tsp crushed dill seed
3/8          tsp crushed mustard seed
1/2          tsp dried minced garlic
1/2          tsp crushed black pepper
3/8          tsp kosher salt