Serves a Crowd

Cowboy Chili Mac & Cheese

by:
September 29, 2023
5
3 Ratings
Cowboy Chili Mac & Cheese
Photo by Kathryn Gamble
  • Prep time 30 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

Chili plus mac and cheese is a match made in heaven. If you manage to have leftover chili (it doesn’t happen often at our house!), this is a great solution to create a second, satisfying meal that will disappear fast. My girls love it so much that sometimes I just make a double batch of chili so we are sure to have enough for this. Of course, this mac and cheese is a classic crowd-pleaser on its own. You can even stir some sautéed mushrooms, peas, blanched broccoli, or cauliflower florets into the mac and cheese before baking for a veggie-full variation. —Mary at Five Marys Farms

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Cowboy Chili Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
  • For the chili:
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small green bell pepper, diced
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 pounds ground beef, preferably chuck or sirloin
  • 1/4 cup chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup water
  • For the mac & cheese:
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni or penne pasta
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 1/4 cups whole milk
  • 8 ounces white cheddar, shredded (about 3 cups
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, bell peppers, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften and start to brown, about 8 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the beef, and cook, stirring, until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add all of the spices plus 1 teaspoon salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper and stir until well combined and fragrant. Add the beans, tomatoes and their juices, and water.
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thick and rich, about 1 hour. (If it gets too thick, add a little more water.) Taste and season with more salt and pepper if you like.
  3. Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bring a large saucepan filled halfway with salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook just until al dente (it will continue to cook in the oven), about 4 minutes or according to package directions. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
  4. In the same saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle the flour over it, and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Let simmer for about 2 minutes to thicken slightly. Slowly add the cheese, whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add the macaroni and stir until well combined. Spread the chili in an even layer in the baking dish. Scrape the mac and cheese over the chili and spread into an even layer. Bake until bubbly and lightly browned around the edges, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
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1 Review

HillJ
HillJ October 1, 2023
I prepared this recipe with brisket instead of ground beef and it was absolutely tasty. Only chg I made in dry goods was way less salt…just a preference.