Tomato Ground Beef

This is the kind of fast weeknight dinner that gets food on the table without a trip to the grocery store. Ground beef sauteed with onion, green pepper, and diced carrot gets simmered in undiluted condensed tomato soup for a thick, saucy meat mixture that pours straight over cooked noodles.

Using condensed tomato soup undiluted is the key to this recipe’s saucy consistency. It clings to the meat and vegetables like a thick gravy rather than running off like a thin broth. The concentrated tomato flavor seasons the whole dish without needing tomato paste, sauce, or canned tomatoes separately.

Browning the onion and green pepper first before adding the beef builds a flavorful base in the pan. That initial sauté softens the vegetables and caramelizes their edges, adding sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomato soup.

Kitchen Tips

• Break the beef into small crumbles as it cooks. Smaller pieces mix more evenly with the sauce and distribute better over the noodles.
• Simmer at least 5 minutes after adding the soup and seasonings. The carrots need that time to soften, and the flavors need a few minutes to come together.
• Don’t add water to the soup. The undiluted concentration is what makes this work. Adding water turns the sauce thin and watery.

Variations

• Serve over rice instead of noodles for a different base that soaks up the tomato sauce.
• Add a can of kidney beans for a quick chili-style variation with extra protein and fiber.