TACO CASSEROLE

8 oz. elbow macaroni - precooked and drained
1 lb. Ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2/3 cup water
1 package taco seasoning
8 oz. can tomato sauce
14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or taco cheese
small can of diced black olives - optional
Optional to serve:
sour cream
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
doritos, nacho chips or broken taco shells


Preheat your oven to 350*
1.  Brown the ground beef in a saute pan with the onion and green pepper.  When browned, drain.  (This will soften the red pepper, but if you prefer a "bite" to your red pepper, you can add it with the macaroni in the last step.  You can also add it to the sauce while it is simmering to soften it a bit.)

2.  Mix the water, taco seasoning, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes (and red pepper, if you choose at this point) into the meat pan and simmer for 2 minutes. 

3.  Take off the stove and mix the macaroni, cheese, and olives into the pan with meat sauce.

4.  Pour the meat mixture into a 9" x 13" pan and top with more cheese.

5.  Bake, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes.

To Serve: 
1.  Serve as is like a creole style soup
2.  Serve on a bed of lettuce and top with "taco" fixings like diced tomatoes, more cheese and sour cream.
3.  Serve over doritoes, nacho chips, or broken taco shells with your favorite toppings.