Beef Macaroni Bake

I've made this 'casserole' twice and last night it came out so yummy I wanted to share. I found this recipe on "About.com" and made a few changes to suit our taste. Serve with a side salad and it is a complete, hearty meal!

INGREDIENTS:
• 8 ounces elbow macaroni or small shells, cooked, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion (I used a whole medium sized onion)
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 green bell pepper, chopped (medium sized)
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning*
• 1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning*
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) tomatoes, undrained, diced*
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• dash (about 4-5 shakes of the bottle) Worcester sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

PREPARATION:
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Continue to sauté the vegetables, stirring frequently, until the chopped onion is tender.

Add ground beef and continue cooking, stirring, until beef is browned. Add the Cajun & Greek seasoning, Worcester sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir to blend well and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked and drained macaroni and 2 cups of the shredded cheese, along with salt and pepper, if desired.





Transfer to a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Cover with foil. At this point, the casserole may be refrigerated for a few hours or overnight. I had enough to fill 2 casserole dishes.
Bake the covered casserole in a 350° oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly (if it is cold from the refrigerator, it may take longer). Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and cook, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Serves 6 to 8.



My changes –
*Use a BIG pot* I started out with a 3 qt saucepan and it was way too small! If you have a big ‘dutch oven’ (like the Le Creuset kind), use it!
I used one can "no salt added" diced tomatoes with “green pepper, celery & onion” and 1 can diced tomatoes, Market Pantry brand from Target
I used “Tony Chachere's” Creole/Cajun seasoning (it rocks! green container in the spice aisle) and "Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning" (same from the meatloaf recipe)
I used 2% cheddar cheese