Vintage Hamburger Macaroni Skillet
Turtle Shells is one of those delightfully quirky vintage recipes that gets its name from the small shell macaroni used in the dish—no turtles required. This easy skillet meal comes from a home economics teacher’s cookbook and features ground beef, tomato sauce, bouillon, and seasonings cooked with pasta for a comforting, budget-friendly dinner.
Turtle Shells
Ingredients
Method
- In a large skillet brown ground beef and green pepper with salt and pepper to taste, until ground beef is crumbly; drain all but 2 tablespoons pan drippings.
- Add macaroni to the skillet and saute until lightly browned.
- Dissolve chicken bouillon in the cup of water.
- Add tomato sauce, cumin, garlic salt, the water and chicken bouillon, and green beans (if using).
- Simmer for 15 minutes or until macaroni in tender.
Adapted from Ground Beef Cookbook (Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers, Favorite Recipes Press, 1983.
Fork Fact
Recipes like Turtle shells often appeared in home economics teaching collections, where simple, affordable meals were paired with creative names. The name refers only to the small shell-shape macaroni used in the dish – not the ingredients.
If you enjoy vintage ground beef and pasta skillet meals like this one, you may also like Shipwreck Stew, another old-fashioned comfort dish built around simple pantry ingredients.
Understanding why toasting pasta adds flavor:
https://www.seriouseats.com/toasting-pasta-enhances-flavor