Creamy Mushroom & Beef Penne
2x the delicious portions!
- Wheat
- Milk
This elevated-yet-crowd-pleasing stovetop mac ’n’ cheese has all the creamy cheesiness and tender pasta you crave, plus yummy extras: browned ground beef, savory sautéed mushrooms with caramelized onions, and fresh herby hits of parsley and thyme. Plus it’s ready to please your crowd (or just a few with leftovers to spare!) in a quick 35 minutes. This recipe is double the typical servings, providing 4 servings and 8 servings for a 2 person and 4 person box respectively.
Ingredients
2 unit
Onion
8 ounce
Button Mushrooms
¼ ounce
Parsley
20 ounce
Ground Beef
12 ounce
Penne Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
1 teaspoon
Dried Thyme
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
5 teaspoon
Red Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoon
Worcestershire Sauce
2 unit
Beef Stock Concentrate
8 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
1 cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon
Cooking Oil
1.5 teaspoon
Sugar
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (we used a 6-quart pot). Wash and dry produce. • Halve, peel, and thinly slice onions. • Trim and slice mushrooms into 1⁄4-inch-thick pieces. (Skip if your mushrooms are pre-sliced!) • Pick parsley leaves from stems; roughly chop leaves.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably high-sided, pan over medium-high heat. Add beef* and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes (6-8 minutes for 8 servings). • Turn off heat; transfer to a large bowl. Wipe out pan. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out and discard.
• Once water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (2 cups for 8 servings), then drain. (Keep empty pot handy for Step 5.)
• While pasta cooks, heat a large drizzle
of oil in pan used for beef over medium- high heat. Add onions and mushrooms;
cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened, 8-10 minutes. TIP: If browning too quickly, reduce heat to medium. • Add vinegar, thyme, garlic powder, and 1⁄2 TBSP sugar (1 TBSP for 8 servings); cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized, 1-2 minutes more. • Season with salt and pepper.
• In pot used for pasta, combine Worcestershire sauce, stock concentrates, cream sauce base, and 3⁄4 cup pasta cooking water (1 1⁄4 cups for 8 servings). • Return pot to stovetop over medium- high heat. Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened slightly, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. • Stir in mozzarella until melted.
• To pot with cheese sauce, add drained penne, beef, and onions and mushrooms. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. • Serve pasta directly from pot, family style! Garnish with parsley.
Ground Beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many enjoyed the dish, but some found the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce overpowering. Consider reducing these for a milder taste.
- Ease of prep: Generally easy to make, though a few found managing the large quantity challenging when cooking and mixing.
- Suggestions: Try using Italian sausage instead of ground beef for more flavor. Consider baking the dish to help thicken the sauce.
- Portions: This double-sized recipe makes plenty, with many reporting abundant leftovers. Great for meal prep! 🍲
- Texture: Some found the sauce didn't thicken well. Adding extra cheese or briefly baking the dish may help improve consistency.
