Beef with Noodles for 4

  The year was 1973 and I was over at a friend's house. We were supposed to be studying together. Her parents were ahead of the ball when it came to technology but that's because they had the money to do it. I remember her asking me if I was hungry. What teenager wasn't? Of course, I said yes. She got into the pantry pulled out these two foam cups, opened the top, and filled them with water. Then she stuck them, one at a time, into her mother's brand-new microwave. It was the first time I ever ate ramen, in this case a product called Cup O Noodles. It was kind of a hybrid concoction, not quite a noodle and not quite ramen. It was salty and the little dried vegetables didn't seem quite done at the end of the cycle. Still, it was a cold afternoon and we were hungry so it did the job.

As time went by, shrink-wrapped ramen noodle soup became a college kids' staple. But families of the 80s also learned to use the soup contents to make a pretty balanced meal. To tamp down the salt, they discarded the seasoning packet. Good plan!

• 1 (3-ounce) package of ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded
• 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes with roasted garlic (use no salt added)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; rinse and drain.
2. In a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. 
3. Remove the beef and drain.
4. In the same skillet, over medium heat, cook bell pepper and onions 5 to 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. 
5. Add tomatoes, beef, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 
6. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
7. Stir in noodles, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. 

I made some changes to ours in that I mixed:

• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup low-fat cream cheese (or whipped)
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesan

I dropped these around the top of the casserole and placed it on high broil until the cheese mixture melted and browns on top.