Savory Philly Cheesesteak Twist on Classic Pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- yellow or sweet onion, diced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 1 cup water
- 14.5 ounce can of beef broth, or 2 cups beef broth
- cup 2% milk
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
- cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 6 to 8 ounces provolone cheese, sliced and torn into pieces
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Brown ground beef and onion in skillet until meat is no longer pink and onions are soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add Worcestershire, green bell pepper, macaroni noodles, water, and beef broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once water comes to a boil reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Check to ensure the pasta has fully cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed/evaporated.
- Keeping the skillet over low heat add the cup of milk and cubed cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese has been incorporated.
- Remove from heat. Sprinkle the mozzarella and half of the provolone cheese into the pan and stir to distribute.
- Top with the remaining provolone cheese. Put the lid back on the skillet for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese.
- Garnish with chopped parsley.
Tips:
- For an even quicker cooking time, ground beef can be cooked ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
- Wait to add the peppers until the next step rather than trying to rush cooking by sautéing them together. The onions need longer to cook and you want the peppers to be slightly crisp at the end.
- Worcestershire sauce gives this recipe a little zip and the classic flavors of a Philly cheesesteak. But if your kids are picky about bold flavors, you can omit them.