Bacon Cheeseburger Mac
Servings
2Serving size
about 2 1/2 cupsThis recipe can be multiplied and makes very good leftovers. Reheat gently.
Ingredients
| 4 quart Water |
| 4 ounce Whole Wheat Shells (or gluten-free pasta) |
| 1 slice raw Bacon (finely diced) |
| 1 large White or yellow onions (sliced) |
| 1 4 ounces 95/5 Ground beef |
| 12 Ounce Mushrooms, white, raw (sliced) |
| 1 Tbsp. All purpose flour or garbanzo flour |
| 1/2 cup No salt added vegetable stock |
| 2 tsp.. Worcestershire sauce |
| 2 tsp. Dijon mustard |
| 1/2 tsp., ground Black pepper |
| 2 ounce Reduced fat cheddar cheese (grated) |
Instructions
When the water boils, add the pasta.
Place a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add the bacon and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir frequently.
Add the sliced onions and continue cooking for another 7 to 10 minutes or until the onions are slightly softened. Stir frequently.
Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Stir frequently.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Stir frequently.
Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom and beef mixture and stir until well blended.
Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and pepper and stir well.
Reduce the heat to low.
When the pasta is done, drain the pasta.
Add the pasta to the pan.
Add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and the mixture is well blended, then serve immediately.
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Special Diet Information
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Lactose
This recipe contains cheese and some of those who are lactose intolerant may be able to tolerate it.
Recipe Notes
The idea that eating healthy is more expensive is a myth.
This Bacon Cheeseburger Mac is similar to a (disgusting) Hamburger Helper (yes, disgusting) that you should never purchase. When we originally created this recipe in 2021, that Hamburger Helper was $1.99 and the pound of beef that it calls for was $5.99. For that you get the true equivalent of 2 servings at $3.99 per serving.
For this version of the recipe the pasta cost 57 cents, the beef was $1.50, the mushrooms $3.00, an onion at 58 cents, the cheese at 89 cents, the bacon 25 cents, and the remaining ingredients are about 25 cents. That comes to $3.52 per serving or about 13% less to eat fresh, real food.
The comparison of calories, fat, sodium and fiber is stunning:
Cheeseburger Mac (no bacon): 775 calories, 33 grams of fat, 1,560 milligrams of sodium, and less than 1 gram of fiber.
Real Food: 515 calories, 13 grams of fat, 463 milligrams of sodium, and 10 grams of fiber.
I don’t believe the word “stunning” is over the top, given that the Hamburger Helper has over three times the sodium (without the bacon) and essentially no fiber or vegetables.
The time to cook the fresh version is about 5 minutes more than the fake version because the whole wheat pasta takes longer to cook.