Family Favorite Cheeseburger Pasta Casserole

I have had this recipe earmarked to try for quite some time. Finally, while gathering with one of my best friends and her two kids, we decided to try this recipe for dinner. 

Boy, am I glad that we did!

It was very easy to pull together, even with five children, six years and under, running chaotically through our kitchen, whooping and hollering (the kids, not us!) We served the kids first and the first “official” review from one of the six year olds was this, “Mom, THIS tastes like a McDonald's Cheeseburger!”

That statement prompted my friend and I to pick up a fork quickly and taste test the dinner ourselves and wouldn't you know it, she was right. This dinner DOES taste like a McDonald's cheeseburger, one of the small burgers. The only child not to eat this meal was my almost four-year-old son who is going through a phase where he is highly resistant to eating anything. I don't fight him on it (not too much anyway) as he always eats something by the time dinner is over.

Family-Favorite Cheeseburger Pasta
(Healthy Cooking Magazine, August/September 2009 issue) 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat penne pasta (I substituted whole wheat elbow pasta as that is what I had on hand.)
• 3/4 lb lean ground beef
• 2 T finely chopped onion
• 1 can (14.5 oz) no-salt added diced tomatoes
• 2 T dill pickle relish
• 2 T prepared mustard
• 2 T ketchup
• 1 tsp steak seasoning
• 1/4 tsp seasoned salt
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• chopped green onions, optional

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Drain pasta; add to meat mixture.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, relish, mustard, ketchup, steak seasoning and seasoned salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand until cheese is melted.  Garnish with green onions if desired. 

Nutritional Facts:  1 1/2 cups equals 391 calories, 12 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 4 g fiber, 28 g protein.

When Lisa isn't busy caring for her three young children, she can be found at her personal blog Growing Up Mo' or journaling about her weight loss journey at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.