Hearty Mac & Cheese

This recipe starts with a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese (I got the blues, the blue-box blues), you know the one, right? So, you can judge me if you want, but I buy the 5-pack of this and it lasts us about a month or 6 weeks. It is an easy thing Steve can make on the weekends when I'm sleeping. It is a quick lunch for me to make the kiddos if they are sick of sandwiches and chicken nuggets, our two rotating lunches (which doesn't happen too often--that's why those two things are our 2 rotating lunches, because the kids love them). Also if you have kids over for a play date, you can make 2 boxes and everyone gets plenty. And, you can sprinkle real bacon bits on top and it is SO yummy. Or you can squirt a little ketchup on the side of your bowl and eat each bite with a bit of ketchup. That's a trick I learned from my grandmother (the one Emma is named after) and every time I do it I think of her. Also she put butter on her ham and cheese sandwiches (on the insides of the bread) but I don't do that. So, the moral of this story is, to make this recipe I didn't have to buy anything. I had all these ingredients. That may not be the case for you, so you don't have to try this if you don't want. It's from the Feb/March 2011 Simple & Delicious.

Hearty Mac & Cheese
1 pkg (7 1/4 oz) macaroni and cheese
1 lb ground beef
3 tbsp chopped onion (I rehydrated onion flakes for this, because I didn't want to cut up a whole onion to get 3 tbsp)
2 tbsp chopped green pepper (I left this out, for the same reason...)
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted (this is one of my kitchen staples, so that we can always have tomato soup and grilled cheese whenever we want)
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (I buy this in bulk at Sam's Club so I always have this too)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup milk

Cook macaroni according to package directions; set cheese packet aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.

Add the soup, water, ketchup, mustard and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes.

Drain macaroni; add to the beef mixture. Stir in the corn, cheese, contents of reserved cheese packet, butter, and milk. Cook over medium heat until heated through.

Okay. This was not good. Way too thick. Too gloppy. And adding the butter at the end, to cooked ground beef, almost sent me over the edge. I guess one should not use a boxed convenience food as the basis for a family meal...lesson learned.