-
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
Continue After Advertisement
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
See what other Food52ers are saying.