for Matthew: Cowboy's Delight!

Cowboy’s Delight
Serves 6 (about)

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1-1/2 tsp ground chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper
Garlic powder to taste
OPT: Cumin powder to taste (abt 1/4tsp to 1/2tsp at most)
1 can tomato paste
2 cans diced or sliced or whole tomatoes (whichever you prefer, it doesn’t matter)
1 package elbow macaroni or favorite pasta shape
Grated cheese

Brown ground beef in skillet. Add onion and continue to cook until onion is transparent. Add spices and tomato paste with 1 can of water from the tomato paste can. Add the diced tomatoes and mix together.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 1/2cup of the liquid. Add the pasta and the tomato mixture in a large casserole or deep pan. The mixture should be very moist. If it isn’t, at this point, add another can of tomatoes or one can of tomato sauce, whichever you prefer.

If you are not going to be eating right away, as the pasta sits, it usually soaks up the tomato sauce and becomes somewhat dry. At that point, add the reserved 1/2cup of liquid from the pasta. This will restore the pasta and tomato without having to add so much tomato and without throwing off the balance of the casserole.

Serve with grated cheese.

**You can add more or less chili powder for heat!