15 Minute Chili Cheeseburger Skillet

 

15 minutes? No way. Yes way, 15 minutes. This delightfully quick and oddly satisfying skillet meal will make everyone happy, from kids to adults. There's an extremely short list of ingredients and hardly any prep work. This recipe is supposed to use broccoli, but obviously, based on my photo, I used peas (forgot to pick up the broccoli!). Regular chili powder is used for a lot of flavor, but if you'd like a little heat, or go for a more smoky flavor, try adding a little chipotle chili powder or even a little pimentón (smoked paprika). You can easily play with this recipe and tweak it enough to make it your own, but make it once following my recipe to see how you like it before you make changes. This is my first post of 2013, and I promise I'll try to be a little more active here this year!

15 Minute Chili Cheeseburger Skillet

1 lb. supreme lean ground beef (93/7 split)

2 cups water

1 package (7.25 oz.) Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner

1 tsp. chili powder (or more, to taste)

3 cups chopped broccoli

¼ cup ketchup

Brown the meat in a large skillet, then drain it completely. If needed, wipe out any residual fat using a paper towel.

Return the meat to the skillet. Stir in the water, macaroni and the chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring twice. I found that it needs to be stirred rather frequently in order to keep the noodles from sticking to the pan; stir at your discretion.

After 5 minutes, add the broccoli. Simmer another 5 minutes or until the macaroni is tender. If the mixture seems to be dry, add a little more water. Stir in the cheese sauce mix and the ketchup until blended. Serve immediately.

Serves 4