Cheesy Hamburger Ranch Mac and Gnocchi

You may not know this about me, but I am a ranch addict.

Heck, I’m addicted to lots of things. Sexy shoes, high dollar handbags, Ryan Gosling. But ranch I can have an affinity for and not break the bank. Or my back.

Let’s not go there….I was talking about the shoes, you know.

As part of my ambassadorship with Hidden Valley® Ranch (the only ranch I’ve used for years and years), I have been creating recipes left and right using their great products. I could post all of them, of course, but I am far too lazy to do that, so, lucky for you, I am bestowing the best of the best upon you.

This one is pretty darned incredible. Cheesy Hamburger Ranch Mac and Cheese.

Kind of like Hamburger Helper, but on a completely different level, as it uses real noodles. Real cheese. Real milk and cream. And there’s a lot of it! Don’t get me wrong, Hamburger Helper got me through the first 8 years of marriage, so I’m not knocking it…I’m just saying this is SO MUCH BETTER! Meaty, cheesy, hearty…Ryan Gosling would like to eat it, but can’t because his trainer would stab him with dull forks. Poor baby. More for us.

Serve it as a side dish, but me, I serve it as the ONLY dish. Main Dish. The Dish.

(Did you just say Trish the Dish? I did. Bonus points if you did and know where that’s from. Just don’t judge me for admitting that’s one of my favorite movies. And, it would be a great movie to combine with THIS dish. Just saying!)

Give it a go and let me know what you think!

Cheesy Hamburger Ranch Mac and Gnocchi

serves 6-10

Ingredients

• 16 oz ground beef, cooked
• 16 oz package of Elbow Macaroni
• 16 oz package of gnocchi
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 packet of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
• 3 teaspoons garlic powdered
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Colby cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Stir fry ground beef in skillet until cooked through. Set aside.
2. Cook the elbow macaroni and gnocchi according to the package directions. Drain.
3. In a large pot over medium low heat, combine the milk, cream, butter, ranch mix and the seasonings. Stir occasionally, being careful not to burn.
4. Once heated, stir in all of the cheeses until melted, then stir in the sour cream.
5. Toss with the beef, gnocchi and macaroni. Top with tomatoes and season to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Hidden Valley Ranch. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

PS – It’s a schooner!