Broccoli Cheeseburger Dinner

It's easy to stretch your budget with ground beef. A little can go a long way in casseroles or other meals. I like to buy ground sirloin or chuck on sale. Then I'll brown it up with onion, garlic and pepper. When it cools, I'll freeze it in a Ziploc bag. It's handy to take out some of it for a quick casserole, soup or spaghetti dinner.
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Another great way to stretch a meal is to add frozen vegetables. Almost any casserole or stove top meal you make can be easily be increased in size by adding frozen broccoli or cauliflower. It's a great way to sneak in some veggies and was the inspiration for this easy casserole. I used a quick homemade cheese sauce, but you could use condensed cheese soup.
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Broccoli Cheeseburger Dinner
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1 pound ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups pasta shells
16 oz. bag frozen broccoli and cauliflower
1/2 cup hot water
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
Cheese Sauce (see recipe below)
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Brown ground sirloin, onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder over medium heat. Drain, if necessary. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Cook frozen vegetables according to package directions and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water. Mix pasta, vegetables, and water with ground sirloin and simmer over low heat while you make the cheese sauce. Stir in cheese sauce and simmer another five minutes.
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Cheese Sauce
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1 cup cold milk
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
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In saucepan, gradually stir milk into corn starch. Add butter, salt and pepper. Stirring constantly bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 1 minute. Stir in shredded cheese and continue to stir until cheese melts.
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If you want to make this into a casserole, pour into a medium-sized casserole dish and top with some extra shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and cheese is melted - about 20 minutes.