Baked Cheeseburger Macaroni

I love Hamburger Helper. I know, I know, it is full of unhealthy chemicals and unrecognizable ingredients. I don't care, I still think it tastes yummy. This Baked Cheeseburger Macaroni blows boxed Hamburger Helper out of the water. No, you can't have it on the table in 30 minutes, unfortunately. However, you can serve up a delicious meal that you know exactly what is in it and can customize to your family's taste.

The inspiration for this meal came from the Pioneer Woman, like many of my other recipes it seems.  I broke down and finally purchased her cookbook titled The Pioneer Woman Cooks; Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl.  On page 96, there is a delicious recipe for macaroni and cheese. It is a bit time consuming (around an hour) and is worth every minute of impatiently waiting by the oven.  I took her basic recipe and added in my own fixings to create this meal.  My darling little boy cleaned his plate and I have had the leftovers for lunch and dinner again.  Beware: this recipe makes A TON. The book says it serves 8. 8 extremely hungry people. If you don't want to be eating macaroni for the next week, cut the ingredients in half.

What special ingredients do you like to see in your cheeseburger macaroni?

Ingredients

1 lb hamburger, browned
4 c dry macaroni (16 oz box)
1 egg
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 1/2 c milk
2 tsp dry mustard, heaping
1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 c fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1 c diced green chiles, drained

Directions

1. Cook the macaroni until firm. It should not be soft enough to eat straight from the pot.

2. Beat the egg in a small bowl.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 and butter a large baking dish.

4. Melt the butter over medium-low heat and add in the flour. Whisk together for 5 minutes.

5. Add in the milk slowly, whisking constantly, to make the sauce. Stir in the mustard.

6. Temper the egg by slowly pouring in 1/4c of the sauce while whisking constantly to keep the egg from cooking. This warms the eggs up and keeps them from scrambling when added to the mix.

7. Whisk the egg mixture into the sauce. Add all except 1/2 c of the cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted. Adjust the seasonings if needed.

8. Mix in the macaroni, hamburger, tomatoes, and chiles. Pour into greased baking dish.

9. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden.