Margaret was the mom of a large family who lived down the street from Lauren’s childhood home in Austin. Her quick and easy weeknight skillet dinner has rescued our busy family for 3 generations now. Though we’ve experimented a bit with additions here and there, Margaret’s original recipe tops them all.
1 Lb. NNBeef Ground Beef
28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
6 oz. can sliced black olives, undrained
2 C. egg noodles, uncooked
~1 C. cubed cheddar cheese, 1/2′′ dice
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 t. bacon drippings – don’t skip this! (can sub grassfed butter if necessary)
Saute ground beef on medium in melted bacon drippings until no longer pink. Reduce heat to low. Stir in S&P, canned tomatoes and olives, with their liquid, then add dry noodles. Press noodles into mixture to cover. Top with cubes of cheese, pressing them gently down into other ingredients but do not stir. Let simmer until noodles are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add a little more water if needed during cooking. So good with a big, fresh spinach salad!
