Published on Emerils.com (https://www.emerils.com)

Recipe
Better Than Mama's Chili Mac [1]

Better Than Mama's Chili Mac

Now this is a delicious casserole. It is super-simple, and best of all, it’s a huge pan of bowl-you-over goodness that will feed the entire family.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: About 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
[2]

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 medium onions small diced, about 3 cups
  • 2 jalapenos, stemmed and minced, optional
  • 1 tablespoon salt, plus more for pasta cooking water
  • 2 pounds extra lean ground beef
  • 5 tablespoons Mexican chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 (28 ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, broken with your hands, with juices
  • 2 cans kidney beans, drained
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 1 pound medium cheddar cheese
  • Sour cream for serving, if desired

Directions

  • Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a 6-quart soup pot. Add onions, jalapenos (if desired), and 2 teaspoons of the salt and cook until soft, 2 minutes. Add ground beef, chili powder, oregano, and garlic and cook, breaking up any clumps of meat with a spoon, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened to chili consistency, about 20 minutes. Taste and add 1 more teaspoon salt, if needed.

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

  • While the chili is simmering, cook macaroni according to package directions in boiling salted water, drain in a colander, rinse under cool running water and set aside. Grate cheddar cheese and set aside.

  • Place a 9 x 13.5-inch or other 3-quart casserole dish on a baking sheet. Once chili has finished cooking, fold in the cooked macaroni and 1/3 of the cheddar cheese. Transfer chili-mac to the baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving.

    Serve each portion garnished with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

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Recipe Details

  • Source: Emeril 20-40-60 [5]
  • Dish Type: Entree [6]
  • Cuisine: American [7]
  • Cooking Method: Combination [8]
  • Occasion: Any [9]
  • Effort Level: Simple [10]

Tags

comfort food [11], pasta [12], kicked up chili [13], Football Favorites [14], Game Day Favorites [15]

Reviews

Source URL: https://www.emerils.com/127407/better-mamas-chili-mac