Skinny Cheeseburger Casserole

This has quickly become one of my and Eddie's favorite recipes lately. Eddie LOVES cheeseburgers, and he's very picky about them. He even ranks each restaurant's burger according to several criteria. I've told him he should start a blog about it :P Anyway, when I made this recipe for the first time he was skeptical, but after his first bite he was blown away at how much it actually tasted like a cheeseburger! The thing I like the most about this recipe is it's a much healthier version of a cheeseburger, while still satisfying that cheeseburger craving we all get once in a while. I found this recipe on skinnymom.com, so I can't take credit for making it up myself, but I still wanted to share it with you!

Skinny Cheeseburger Casserole

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
8 servings, 1 cup per serving

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
½ onion, diced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
½ tsp burger seasoning
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 — 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups reduced-fat, shredded cheddar cheese
Optional: 1/4 cup dill hamburger chips, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9" x 13" casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large stock pot, cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
3. In a medium skillet, add olive oil and cook onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add salt, pepper and burger seasoning to ground beef while cooking.
5. Add in tomatoes, tomato paste and mustard.
6. Allow the mixture to cook and thicken until bubbly.
7. Add the pasta to sauce and mix to cover evenly.
8. Transfer mixture to casserole dish.
9. Top with cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and top with chopped dill pickles before serving (optional).

Nutrition Information:

Per Serving: (1 cup)

Calories: 258
Calories from fat: 75
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 50mg
Sodium: 528mg
Carbohydrates: 18g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar 5g
Protein: 24g
Calcium: 27%
Iron: 10%
WWP+: 6

http://www.skinnymom.com/2013/11/11/skinny-cheeseburger-casserole/

Another thing I love about this recipe is once you buy a few of the ingredients, such as the burger seasoning and the dijon mustard, you can use it several times, saving you money.