Spanish Pasta probably sounds a little strange, but if you love old-fashioned Spanish hamburger (served on buns), you’ll love this! Very easy to make and it’s a “one pot” meal!

My Momma used to make Spanish Hamburger every Halloween to feed her hungry kids and grands before they set out on a ghoulishly fun evening of trick or treating. I loved walking in the door to that wonderful smell and miss it terribly–and those amazing memories made with my little boys. 🤗 They’re all grown up now and off on their own, but I hope someday they all move to our new small town in Florida to raise their children. Or at least bring them to Grammy and Grampa’s before setting out for their own Halloween adventures.

I didn’t intend for this post to be about Halloween in May, but the delicious taste and smell of this simple and affordable one-pot pasta dish brought those memories flooding back. The thing I like most about this Spanish Pasta is how yummy and filling it is on a slashed-to-the-max budget.

Stay tuned at the end for a great tip on eating out dirt cheap in these sky-rocketing inflation times.

Spanish Pasta

• 1 lb ground beef
• 16 oz elbow macaroni
• 2 (15 oz) cans stewed tomatoes with celery & peppers
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper (4 humps on bottom), seeded & diced
• 2 cups water
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Accent (msg), to taste

Brown the ground beef, onion, and bell peppers. Drain the fat if you want.

Add the stewed tomatoes with its liquid and break up with a spoon.

Stir in the pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover with lid (partially tilted to release steam) and turn heat to medium-low. Let cook for 15-18 minutes, or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally, .

Serve with a crusty bread to sop up the juices.

It’s Not Too Late to Start Your Gardens!

Depending on where you live, it’s not too late to start growing a garden in pots or in the ground. And now is the perfect time in the northern half of the U.S. and Canada! Get out there and just do it. There are plenty of videos and websites to teach you everything you need to know. 😊

How to Save on Fast-Food

Most of you may already know this, but I didn’t until I actually started using it. Download the McDonald’s app to your Android or Apple phone. Make an account then select the location you want to pick up from.

Down at the bottom of the home screen in the app, select Rewards & Deals. It’s very easy to start racking up points, but start by scrolling down to Deals (View All –>) then down to 20% of any purchase of $1 or more (excludes tax).

Once you start racking up points, you’ll then be able to get free food or always just use the 20%!

Look for all your favorite restaurant apps to see what deals you can use to save. Grabbing fast-food may not be as healthy, but it is tasty and filling when trying to feed a family on a dime.