Here's how I like to make my hotdish.
Take 1/4-1/2 lb hamburger (depending on your current state of hunger)
1 box of macaroni and cheese (or a similar amount of elbow macaroni)
1 can of tomato SOUP. Tomato sauce tastes wierd, and paste tastes like crap. I must stress the soup part.
1/4-1/2 can of corn. More if you like corn, I suppose.
Brown the hamburger. Add some chili powder, pepper, salt, and garlic as the grease first makes it's appearance but the hamburger is not quite done. Now add some tabasco sauce. Really add some. Save the grease, that's flavor!
Cook the macaroni, and set aside untill the hamburger is ready (with a little practice they should be ready at the same time).
Open a can of tomato soup, and pour the oddly thick tomato product into your macaroni pot (there's still macaroni in it, remember?).
Add beef.
Add corn. Add synthetic cheese flavoring from the macaroni pouch if desired. That makes it real good.
Stirrr.
Enough macaroni hotdish to keep your stomach full all day, and then some if you're hungry later.
A few notes:
Tabasco sauce really really helps this. It can't be too hot, because you should eat it with milk anyway. Milk's good for you.
Make sure you use a big enough kettle to accomodate a can of soup, some corn, and the macaroni/beef mixture. If it ALMOST fits, you get a huge mess.
If you don't like doing dishes, this can be made in bulk as previously mentioned. It can be a pain in the ass to clean up afterwards. It always tastes wierd when reheated though, it makes it too dry.
Do not give this to a dog, unless you like to clean up "surprises". Cats are naturally repelled.