Description
Perfect for the whole family, this ultimate one pot chili mac feeds a crowd, and is easy enough for a weeknight meal. Customize it with added veggies, or roasted squash for fall!
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces Rotini or Elbow Noodles, I used Barilla Protein Plus (not a plug, just what I like)
- 2 Tbsp Olive or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Sweet Onion, finely chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- Salt and Pepper
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1 1/2 pounds Ground Beef (I used 85/15)
- 1 can (28 oz) Tomato Sauce
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomato, lightly drained
- 2 1/2 cups Colby Jack Cheese, shredded
- 1/2–1 cup Sour Cream, optional – see notes.
- Cilantro, optional
- Queso Fresco, optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a dutch oven, bring salted water to a boil, and cook pasta according to directions to get al dente noodles. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water for later.
- In the same dutch oven, heat the oil, and saute the onion, bell pepper, and pinch of salt until they are softened. About 10 minutes.
- Once softened, stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin, stirring until fragrant. Stir in the ground beef, and break apart, cooking until no longer pink. About 8 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, and the diced tomatoes, along with the reserved 3/4 cup pasta water. Cover the dutch oven and allow it all to simmer, stirring every few minutes, for about 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, and stir in the cooked pasta, and half of the cheese. If you want a more mild chili mac, stir in sour cream at this stage. Or add roasted veggies! Top with remaining cheese.
- Place in the oven for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese. Cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Top with cilantro, and queso fresco if you want!
Notes
- Add in 1/2 pound roasted cubed roasted squash, if you want a more fall feel to this comforting dish!
- Add in sour cream to make the chili flavor more mild. Especially if you have sensitive kiddos. It’s not “hot”, but some might not like the chili flavor.
- Adapted from ATK’s Ultimate Chili Mac