Best Make Ahead Macaroni Beef Casserole

By carolync

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 leek cleaned and thinly sliced
• 2 cans (15-ounce) stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (15-ounce) plain tomato sauce
• 1 pound any type pasta (rigatoni or ziti sizes work best)
• 14 ounces bag of shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained (optional)

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from recipelion.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions using the minimum cooking time (al-dente). Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside. Saute the leeks in butter and oil until translucent. Add the ground beef and brown completely. Combine the pasta, cooked meat, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, cheese(s) and beans (if used). Salt and pepper to taste and pour into a non-stick baking pan or a lightly greased glass baking dish. Cover with foil (or lid if the container has sealable lid) and toss in fridge overnight if you're not ready to bake yet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake covered with foil for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes to brown the top. Serve with crusty bread.