Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 3 cups Mexican blend cheese or cheddar, shredded
- Salt & pepper to taste
Brown the Beef and Onions
Add the beef and onions to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Cook for ~8-10 minutes, breaking the meat up with your spoon as you go.
If there’s a lot of excess fat pooling in the bottom, spoon most of it out – but a little bit is fine for flavor.
Add the Aromatics and Spices
Stir in the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, and green chilies.
Cook for ~1 minute until fragrant – you’ll smell the spices bloom.
The chili powder can burn easily, so keep stirring.
Add Liquids and Simmer the Pasta
Pour in the beef broth, tomato sauce, and cream; increase heat to high.
Once it just starts to boil, add the macaroni.
Reduce heat to medium so it’s rapidly simmering and cook uncovered for ~13-15 minutes, stirring every couple minutes.
You’re looking for the pasta to be tender and the liquid to reduce by about half.
If the liquid disappears too quickly before the pasta is done, add another 1/2 cup broth and lower the heat slightly.
Finish with Cheese
Pull the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese.
The residual heat will melt it perfectly without making it grainy.
Season with salt and pepper – start with 1 tsp salt and adjust from there.
If you want it thicker, cover the pot and let it sit for ~5 minutes; the pasta will absorb more liquid.
For a melty cheese top, sprinkle an extra 1/2 cup cheese on top and cover until melted.
Simple Chili Mac
Ingredients
Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 can diced green chilies 4 oz
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 can tomato sauce 15 oz
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 3 cups Mexican blend cheese or cheddar shredded
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and onion in Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, breaking up meat. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Stir in garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, and green chilies. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add beef broth, tomato sauce, and cream. Increase heat to high and bring to boil.
- Add macaroni, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered 13-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until pasta is tender and liquid reduces by half.
- Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
