Gramma's Skillet Macaroni

Just a quick post today.  No pictures, no step by step, no explanation (left my camera at work...).  No frills, that is to say, much like this recipe, in fact, one that came from my frugal, thrifty, exceptional grandma K.   This is one of those dishes everyone who grew up in the 60s, 70s, or 80s probably ate with some regularity.  It uses the commonest of ingredients - canned tomatoes, onion, ground beef, and dry elbow macaroni - to craft a round meal that can feed anywhere from 2 to 6 or more.

And, to be quite honest, most of the time it's not that good.  It certainly isn't gourmet.  But it feeds a deeper part of myself than my stomach.  It feeds my memory, my nostalgia, my need to remember that most of us have it really good right now.  I didn't make this dish because it was cheap, in addition to being filling and (somewhat) nutritious.  I didn't make it because it was all I could afford, or I was trying to feed a family on pennies a day.

I made it on a whim, when another whim might easily call for me to buy expensive, trucked-in seafood or excess amounts of meat.  I made it because I could, not because I had to.  But maybe doing things that we can all the time, simply because we can, isn't the most conscientious way to be.

We always called this "goulash" growing up, although I have no idea how it became connected in name to that Hungarian national dish it shares barely any kinship with (not even paprika, although I bet a hit of the smoked stuff would pep this American pantry meal up a lot).  It was a favorite meal of mine as a kid, and since I've been craving all sorts of nostalgic foods this week, I brought it back into the rotation.

It's really good in a very simple, hearty, stick to the ol' ribs (as IF I need any help in that department) sort of way.  Even A admitted, after stating how much his mom made somethings similar that he hated growing up, that this is much better.  I credit the extra strip of bacon, and my panicked last-minute additions, because it seemed thin and watery and not what I remembered.  And, only one pot was dirty at the end of the night--a feat in itself!



Skillet Macaroni
Serves about 4 for dinner

4 strips bacon
3/4 lb ground sirloin (or any leaner ground beef)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large rib celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Fry bacon until crisp, then remove to a paper towel to drain.

Remove excess fat from the skillet (but don't wipe out - you need a little fat in there) and add ground beef, onion, celery and garlic. break up meat with the back of a spoon. Season well with S&P, and allow to cook, undisturbed, for about 3-4 minutes (you want the beef to develop a bit of a crust).  Stir and break up large piece of meat, then allow other sides to brown. Meanwhile, chop up bacon into bits.

Add tomatoes and water, deglazing bottom of pan to scrape all the browned bits back into the sauce.  Bring to a simmer, then add macaroni and chopped bacon.  Cover and simmer about 5 minutes, then remove cover and continue cooking until pasta is soft.  Add ketchup, bbq sauce, and worcestershire sauce; stir well and heat through.  Taste for seasonings, then serve!

Tastes like home.