Cheeseburger Macaroni

The weather here in NJ has been horrible lately with rain almost every day and I hate rain or rather I hate getting wet. But with a lot of rainy days comes that melancholy feeling for comfort foods. Last week, my kids were begging for this Cheeseburger Macaroni and said that I haven't made it in YEARS(do you hear their whining voices?). Well, it wasn't years, but it has been quite a while. They LOVE it and I like that it's so easy and quick to make and has a considerable less amount of sodium than the boxed variety. If you want to lighten this up even more, use 99/1 Ground Turkey instead of the beef or throw in some vegetables to add more fiber. 

Cheeseburger Macaroni
1/2 lb. Barilla Whole Grain Rotini Pasta 
(or any other type of pasta)
1/2 lb. 90/10 Ground Beef 
(you could also substitute ground turkey or chicken)
1 tbsp. Butter
1 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
3/4 c. 2% Milk
8 Slices 2% American Cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. In a nonstick pan, brown the ground beef. Remove from pan draining off any excess liquid then set aside. In the same pan, melt the butter then stir in the flour forming a roux. Add in the milk and cheese and stir until all of the cheese has melted and sauce becomes thick. Add back in the ground beef and pasta, mix well and season with salt and pepper. Serving Size=1/2 cup

*Nutritional Information: Calories 167, Carbs 15g, Fat 7g, Protein 12g
*Nutritional Information with Ground Turkey: Calories 142, Carbs 15g, Fat 4g, Protein 12g

Enjoy!

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into MyFitnessPal and may not be 100% accurate.

Shared at Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen 5/21/12
Shared on Recipes for My Boys 5/31/12