Chili Mac

Chili Mac

How could you go wrong combining two crowd pleasers like chili and mac and cheese? This is another quick and easy week night dinner that is fairly heatlthy. Use any shape or type of pasta that you like, I always use whole wheat pasta and think it's a good pairing for something as hearty as chili.

-1/2 box whole wheat elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 lb lean ground beef
-1 onion, diced
-1 bell pepper, diced
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 Tbsp chili powder
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp oregano
-1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-2 Tbsp brown sugar
-2 Tbsp hot sauce
-1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
-1 (29 oz) can crushed tomatoes
-1 can kidney beans, drained
-2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in medium pot over medium heat. Add beef, onion and bell pepper. Cook 10-15 minutes, until meat is no longer pink, stirring often and breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon. Drain meat mixture and return to heat. Add garlic, chili power, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt, pepper and brown sugar. Cooking an additional minute, stirring constantly. Add hot sauce, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and beans. Simmer an additional 10 minutes (or more) until the flavors combine. Turn off heat and stir in cooked pasta. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Topp with remaining cup of cheese and place a lid on the pot for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Serve with your favorite chili toppings; hot sauce, diced onions, jalapenos and/ or sour cream.