When my husband and I were living in our apartment in California, we didn't always eat the healthiest food. We had a very low income, I couldn't cook anywhere near as well as I can now (partly a confidence issue, partly a complete and utter lack of experience), he worked late, and I was pregnant and therefor having severe problems with what I could actually keep down. Subsequently, a substance called "Hamburger Helper" became a regular in our menus. (For non-Americans, 'hamburger' is the same as mince/ground beef. "Hamburger Helper" is like mac&cheese, with meat. You brown your meat, then do whatever the box says.)
Here in Australia, this doesn't exist - hence the previous explanation. For a long time, nothing similar appeared in our diets. Until hubby had a taco craving. He comes from California. It was bound to happen eventually. So we bought a taco kit, made our tacos, and had a thoroughly enjoyable dinner. We also had so much leftover meat we didn't know what to do with it all. Remembering our prior love of Hamburger Helper, hubby came up with a great idea. Taco Mac. It won't be to everyone's taste, but we love it here, and it's a cheap, easy way to use up leftover taco meat.
We've come a long way since the days of taco-kits and Kraft mac&cheese, however. We now usually buy tortillas instead of using hard taco shells, I make our taco seasoning, and my husband has recently come to appreciate home-made macaroni and cheese - since I discovered how to make it with MILK instead of water, cutting down on 'the grainy factor' that he disliked so much.
TACOs*
In a large jar, combine:
- 10tsp paprika
- 9tsp cumin
- 5tsp onion flakes
- 5tsp garlic powder NOT GARLIC SALT FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!!!!
- 4tsp coriander
- 4tsp salt
- 4tsp sugar
Brown your meat in a frypan.
Once browned, for every 500g (1 pound) meat, add about 1Tbsp taco seasoning, and 1/2 cup water, mix till well combined, and simmer to reduce. TASTE IT. You may need to add more, you may decide to use less next time.
Make your tacos, using whatever you like. We use soft tortillas, cheese, salsa and lettuce. My mum adds avocado, hubby adds chili sauce.
MACARONI & CHEESE
milk
butter
macaroni
salt
pepper
cheese
In an appropriately sized saucepan, mix your macaroni, milk, butter, salt & pepper.
How much, you ask? Thats tricky. This is the recipe I found: 2 1/2 cups pasta, 3 cups milk, pinch salt, med-high heat, stir continuously, add cheese when cooked.
DIDN'T WORK. Others have had brilliant results, my milk evaporated away and my pasta was still hard.
So heres what I did:
- 2 cups pasta, 2 1/2 cups milk, knob of butter - about 1tbsp - and a little salt&pepper in a 3L pot.
- LOW-MED heat.
- STIR CONTINUOUSLY.
- Add more milk when it's evaporated down quite a bit and your pasta is still hard as a rock.
- Keep stirring.
- Add MORE milk.
- KEEP STIRRING!!!!!!!!!!!
- Finally, CHEESE!!
What I recommend (serves 2 adults, 5yr old boy and 1yr old girl, with plenty left over. I need to work out better proportions for the 4 of us):
2 cups pasta, 3 cups milk, Tbsp butter, salt & pepper in a pot.
Med-low heat .
STIR CONTINUOUSLY for 10-15 minutes, adding more milk if needed.
When the pasta is cooked and the milk is thickened, add 1cup shredded cheese, stirring til combined and melted.
Taste, add more salt/pepper/cheese as needed.
TACO MAC
Make your mac&cheese.
Once the cheese is melted, add 1-2cups taco meat (depending on what you have available and how meaty you prefer it), stirring over low heat til well combined and heated through.
*We don't like spicy. This recipe is an absolute spicy FAIL, if you like spicy, add chili by all means!
