This was a very good recipe; we omitted the tomato paste b/c we didn't have it. We also just made a 1/2 recipe and glad since we could have fed the neighborhood otherwise. My 11 year-old made the entire thing by herself, so it is very easy to prepare.

Yum, this one's a keeper. We adjusted the recipe a bit: I didn't have tomato paste so I substituted Ragu (cooked down on a stovetop for 15 minutes), and I added Rotel instead of just regular diced tomatoes. This gave it a nice kick, so I ommitted the jalapenos. (Probably could have used the jalapenos.) We like spicy things! I also added a bit more cumin to suit our taste. I also used chili beans and cheddar cheese. I didn't change all of these things because I didn't think it would taste good, I was just trying to use what I already had. Overall, really great midweek meal. Definately has a "hamburger helper" feel to it. It's just not something that I will make for company.

I thought this was a delicious meal. It makes quite a bit so it is great for large families. I didn't use the chiles because my husband has a hard time with foods that are too spicy but I did put the jalapenos on top and it turned out great. Very filling too. Thanks!

I rated this a 4 star because we were not falling out of our chairs in love with it, but it was quite good, filling, easy, and will make it into the dinner arsenal. I felt the meal was bland even after adding the seasonings so I added a package of Taco seasoning and a dash of salt, this really helped. I also added 1/4 cup water to the pot as it seemed dry to me, I added a can of corn. After the macaroni was done, I mixed a half bag of shredded mexican cheese in the pot then added the macaroni, mixed it all up and topped with M.Jack cheese. This meal was NOT too much heat for the kids like I feared, perhaps because I cooked the jalapeno with the meat, garlic, and onions instead of sprinkling them on top, The children (picky eaters) even asked for seconds. I served this with sour cream and some white corn chips.