When I don't have a clue on what to make for lunch or dinner, I typically go for the easy dish of mac n' cheese that is usually find way in the back of the shelf in the pantry. One day I made it and thought I never remember eating mac n' cheese as a kid what did my mami make? Then it hit me, like the food critic in the movie Ratatouille, my mami made this delicious sopa de conchitas and it had like this melted, string cheese, YUMMY!! I thought forget this traditional box of mac n' cheese, I am going to make what mami use to make. I actually felt dumb that I didn't remember this before. I added some extra ingredients to make this dish tasty and nutritional at the same time. If you have children then you'll understand what I mean, because my child will eat vegetables as long as it is already mixed in the food hidden under cheese, broth, and pasta. I have a double whammy because its not just my son but, also my husband, I'm sure many of you can relate.

Okay so let's start with the basics, Conchitas is the Spanish word for shells. These shells once boiled are huge. This can be a good thing because not only can this meal last for two or three days. It is very hardy, and filling. The ingredients for this dish that have an asterisks are what I used in my sopa please feel free to omit what you don't want in yours. Also, if you're like me I enjoy my meals to contain plenty of flavor of bouillon so I have included in between measurements for those who have a low sodium diet. I usually eyeball it and taste it as I go.

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

8-oz. to 12-oz. Shell Macaroni-Medium size

*1lb. of ground beef

1 bunch or less of green onion chopped

2-4 large, chopped, stewed Tomatoes

1-4 dashes of Garlic Salt

1-4 dashes of black pepper

1-4 tsp. of tomato bouillon

*1 cup of baby carrots diced

*3/4-1 green bell pepper chopped

5-6 cups of water (the more water you add the more soup like it will be)

slices of mozzarella

I begin with the chopping and the dicing, I feel that it makes the cooking go faster when all of this is done ahead of time. Wash all veggies of course. While you are cutting all veggies, go ahead and get your cooking pot out and skillet. The cooking pot is the one you will end up using to combine all ingredients together. The skillet is for the ground beef. Add olive oil to the skillet and begin to heat. Once you've finished chopping your tomatoes, green onions, bell pepper and diced your baby carrots, begin cooking ground beef. Here is where I add the dashes of garlic salt and black pepper to the ground beef. Once meat is brown, add green onions, and green bell pepper. Cover and let simmer on low heat. Okay back to the cooking pot, add some olive oil and let heat. Once the oil is hot, add the 8-oz.-120z. medium size macaroni shells and slightly brown, keep stirring the macaroni because it will burn if not careful. Once the macaroni is slightly browned, add your water to begin cooking the shells. Bring to a boil for 12 minutes, before time is up begin adding the tomato bouillon. Be careful to not add to much because you can always add salt flavoring to it later but you can't take it out. Once the pasta is cooked, add the ground beef mixture, tomatoes and carrots. Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow carrots, and tomatoes to cook. Now my favorite part, once you are ready to eat. Serve in a bowl and when it is hot and steamy, I enjoy slicing a few pieces of mozzarella on top and let it melt. I eat this sopa de conchitas by itself, however this sopa goes well with corn tortillas or club crackers.

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