In a Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and onion together until the onion softens and the meat cooks through, about 3-5 minutes.
¾ pound ground beef, ½ yellow onion
Drain any grease.
Add the beef broth, marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, soy sauce, garlic powder, paprika, seasoned salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
2 cups low sodium beef broth, 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 cup marinara sauce, 1 bay leaf, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground paprika, ½ teaspoon seasoned salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 5 or 10 minutes, covered.
Add the elbow macaroni and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 12-15 minutes. Don’t overcook.
1 cup dry elbow macaroni
Remove the bay leaves and adjust the seasonings to taste.
Add the shredded cheese, optional. If you are using a Dutch oven, you can pop it in the oven and melt and brown the cheese if desired.
½ cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Garnish the finished dish with chopped parsley, optional.
Chopped fresh parsley