Stouffer's Macaroni and Beef

[danner]

I admit that I was a Stouffer's Macaroni and Beef junkie back in the day. Even though I pretended to eat healthy, I guzzled Gatorade and ate Mac&Beef sometimes and stocked up when they had a sale.

That was a loooong time and two children ago. I made Macaroni & Beef for lunch out of all good things with sauce I made a few days ago and something was missing from the Stouffer's junk food my tastebuds remember.

Does anyone have a knockoff recipe for it?

[Hungry Caterpillar]

My dirty secrets in college were Stouffers Macaroni and Beef and Stouffers Tuna Noodle Casserole. You seem to have already broken the mystery of the tuna noodle casserole somethin'-somethin' but I, too, long for Macaroni and Beef.

I suspect it's an addition of lots of sugar into the sauce. I often consider buying many of them to taste-trial against. I seem to remember a sweetness? Or possibly I long for low-grade beef?

I still drink Gatorade here when I am sick I just can't quit you, Gatorade. A few times a year won't kill me.

I can't believe you, of all people, are trying to reconnect with the loveliness of that Macaroni and Beef. You don't by chance have a recipe for my other truly disgusting craving, Hilshire Farms Kielbasa? I think it was beef? I think I stopped that train when I found something unsavory in it like MSG.

[danner]

Oh my Hillshire Farms Beef Kielbasa, how I crave thee. It's such a crime that it's such utter crap. But I will do it once or twice a year and take a Tylenol while I do.

I love food. That's my problem. So I take 2 packages of that terrifying beef kielbasa cut in pieces (cannot find it locally), a package of "fresh" sauerkraut and a bottle of beer (I usually have to buy something) and toss it all in a crockpot and let it go 3+ hours. There's hardly anything better. Damn it, now I'm craving it. it's SO bad for you/me.