This easy macaroni casserole is filled with ground pork and pasta in a savory marinara sauce and is topped with melted mozzarella. At a cost of $1.65 a serving, you can serve this to a large crowd without spending a fortune at the store.
Easy Macaroni Casserole
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 375.2
Cost per Serving*: $1.76
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- ¼ c celery (chopped small)
- ¼ c carrots (chopped small)
- 1 c chopped onion
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 23 oz jar marinara sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 oz elbow pasta (or any shape you prefer)
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese
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Instructions
- Brown pork in a pot that is big enough for the marinara and water to be added later. Take the pork out and set it aside in a bowl. Leave the oil from the pork in the pan.
- Sautee the onion, celery and carrots in the fat from the pork until they are soft.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except the pasta and cheese into the pot.
- Add the pork back into the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 while the sauce is cooking.
- Barely cover the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish with the sauce.
- Spread the uncooked pasta evenly in the dish and top with the remaining sauce.
- Top with the cheese and cover the dish with foil.
- Bake the casserole for 50-60 minutes.
Notes
If you use homemade marinara, you can control the amount of sodium as well as lower the overall cost.
I use ground pork because the flavor works in this casserole and it costs less than ground beef. You can use any ground beef that you like.
Nutrition
Calories: 375.2kcalCarbohydrates: 29.4gProtein: 21.7gFat: 19.2gSaturated Fat: 8.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 7.3gCholesterol: 63.2mgSodium: 898.7mgPotassium: 630mgFiber: 2.9gSugar: 5.6gVitamin A: 1231.3IUVitamin C: 8.5mgCalcium: 178.5mgIron: 2mg
Read the full nutritional disclaimer.
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Cost of Macaroni Casserole Breakdown
Ground Pork $4.00
Onion $1.50
Celery $0.25
Carrots $0.15
Mushrooms $1.99
Tomatoes $0.99
Marinara $1.79
Elbows $0.50
Mozzarella $1.99
Total for Recipe $13.16
Cost per Serving $1.65*
