When you’re looking for a soup that’s comfy as can be and also filling and delicious, look no further than Beef and Macaroni. I remember loving this soup in my childhood, even though at the time I claimed to hate all soup. Thanks to the beefy tomato flavor and tender macaroni, though, it’s the kind of soup that kids just can’t seem to resist… But really that goes for kids of all ages, from two right on up to one hundred and two.

Never fear, this isn’t the type of soup you have to simmer all day to achieve optimum flavor. Nope. It comes together in just about thirty minutes, and it’s a simple, straightforward process without a ton of ingredients.

You start with onion, garlic, and ground beef that you brown up in a pot…

… and then simmer in a mixture of beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, basil, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves. That simmers just until it’s thickened a bit and the flavors have come together, ten minutes or so.

And then you’re ready for the macaroni! You can boil the macaroni separately and stir it into the soup, but I prefer to just add it dry to the soup and let it simmer until it’s tender. There’s a little danger of overcooking it this way, sure, but I like the way the pasta absorbs some of the flavor of that beefy tomatoey broth.

There’s nothing terribly innovative or revolutionary about this soup; it’s just all about simple ingredients brought together well. Classic flavors and one everlasting classic soup!