Beef, Cheese and Noodle Bake

By japaulson

This family-friendly casserole is a great way to incorporate more vegetables into children's food. For creamiest results, do not overbake. With more than 200 milligrams of calcium, this dish is a good source of the bone-building mineral.

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package small elbow macaroni
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup prechopped onion
• 1 cup preshredded carrot
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 1 pound lean ground sirloin
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) 2% reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (such as Cracker Barrel), divided

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Lightly coat pasta with cooking spray.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot, and sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add ground beef; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates.

Add pasta to beef mixture in pan, stirring to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Place milk, flour, nutmeg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; stir with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add 1 cup cheese, stirring until smooth. Pour cheese mixture over pasta mixture; stir. Top evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information
Calories:283 (24% from fat)
Fat:7.7g (sat 4.2g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:22.3g
Carbohydrate:30.1g
Fiber:2.1g
Cholesterol:46mg
Iron:3.1mg
Sodium:622mg
Calcium:209mg