March 8, 2012

Cheesy Chili Mac

Is anyone craving some cheesy, creamy, flavorful macaroni?  Well, you should make this pasta.  It is really good and it can be made in less than 30 minutes.  It's a perfect weeknight dinner and will easily become a family favorite.  
This dish is right up my alley. I love each and every ingredient, especially the corn. I love biting into corn and getting that burst of juicy goodness.  This dish has a special ingredient that gives it some amazing flavor and I can't wait to try it in other savory dishes.  It is brown sugar and it adds a perfect richness to this dish. 

My family loves this dish and I make it often.  


Cheesy Chili Mac
1 Lb. lean ground beef or turkey 
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl. chili powder
1 Tbl. ground cumin
1 Tbl. brown sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
2 c. water
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
8 oz. elbow mac (about 2 cups)
1 (15.25 oz.) can corn
1 1/2 - 2 c. Mexican cheese blend 
chopped cilantro, for garnish, opt.
diced avocado, for serving, opt.

Heat large skillet over medium heat; add the ground meat and cook until browned.  A few minutes before the meat is done, add the chopped onion.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the chili powder, cumin and brown sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the water and tomato sauce; stir well to combine.  

Stir in the corn and the uncooked noodles, cover pan and cook until noodles are done, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  If the noodles have absorbed all the liquid, but aren't quite cooked through, add a little extra water and continue cooking.  Turn off heat and add the cheese; stir to melt.  Garnish with chopped cilantro and diced avocado.   

Jenn's Notes: I like to add a mixture of Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheese instead of Mexican.



5 comments:

  1. Sounds like a winner, I love chili and mac, even better I bet together.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds awesome! Pinning it on my recipes board. Can't wait to make it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a great way to dress up Mac and Cheese! LOVE IT! We'd love for you to link this up at our recipe link up!
    http://housewivesofriverton.blogspot.com/2012/03/recipe-round-up-7.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks scrumptious! Thank you so much for sharing at Mom On Timeout!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

LinkWithin