Castaway Skillet Supper

Hey there, how’s life in 2021 been so far? We’re still on such a roller coaster ride in California, half the time I don’t know if I’m coming or going. We’re open, we’re closed. Stay home unless your skiing. Depressed? Shop retail. Just don’t go inside a church, because that’s where the virus thrives.

As you can imagine, when the courts ruled in favor of in-person in-church services, people of faith gave a sign of relief. Some stayed away during the ban on indoor worship, while others gathered like criminals to praise God. Even now, nothing is really clear cut as to what is and what is not safe.

I think this castaway dish is as confused as our Governor. I changed the name of the recipe and played around with it because the original was off. Let’s start with the name – the original name was Castaway Casserole. I guess it sounded cleaver, but really didn’t fit. I’ve never cooked a casserole that never saw the inside of an oven. No, this was a skillet supper. I did like Castaway. I guess the ingredients might be in a ship’s galley. Once you’ve run aground, chances are the freezer’s going to give out, so you better make do with the meat and frozen vegetables that aren’t going to keep.

The first time around, I followed the directions step by step. The instructions said to mix everything together, even the noodles, without first boiling them. Now maybe in their kitchen, this worked out, but in mine not so much. I had to keep adding milk to the pot and cooked everything twice what I thought just to get the noodles soft. Nope, parboiling isn’t an option, it’s a necessity. Finally, there wasn’t enough cheese, so I’ve added more.

Yeah, this was much better. Another good reason for all the added cheese is that today is National Cheddar Cheese Day. Kiddo really liked the Castaway Skillet Supper. I’d say it’s a family friendly although not very healthy supper. Enjoy!

Castaway Skillet Supper
1 lb Ground Beef
1 (7.25 oz) Box Macaroni and Cheese Mix
1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes
1-1/2 cups Milk
1 cup frozen Peas
1 cup frozen Corn
Seasoned Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Onion Powder to taste
2-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. While the water comes to a boil, heat a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat.

Empty pasta into the pot of boiling water, cook just until the noodles begin to soften, about 6 minutes or so. Drain pasta.

Crumble ground beef into the heated skillet. Cook meat until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.

Stir cheese mixture from the Macaroni and Cheese package over the beef. Add pasta, tomatoes, 1 cup of milk, peas and corn. Season with salt, pepper and onion powder. Stir to blend, bring mixture to a full boil.

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Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 12 minutes.

Add remaining milk and all the cheese. Stir, letting the cheese melt.

Continue to simmer on low until pasta is tender, adding more milk if necessary to keep the mixture moist.

Serve with a simple salad for an easy supper.