Easy Pizza Macaroni Bake

Ingredients

• 2 (7.25 ounce) packages macaroni and cheese dinner mix (such as Kraft)
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce
• 1 (3.25 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Reserving cheese packets, cook macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain and transfer macaroni to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle one reserved cheese packet over macaroni and top with Cheddar cheese.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef, onion, and bell pepper in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Stir remaining reserved cheese packet into beef; spread beef mixture over macaroni.

Pour pizza sauce over beef mixture and top with pepperoni slices and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle oregano and basil over cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.