Comfort food is really important in my kitchen. Making something that invokes hearth and home and pleasant memories is what cooking should be about. I remember my mom making chili mac when I was younger, and I wanted to recreate that feeling in my head and stomach. Baking it in the oven for a casserole and some additional tweaks were my ideas.
SOFTWARE
· 4 T. butter
· 1 yellow onion, medium, chopped
· 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, chopped
· 4 cloves of garlic, minced
· 1 lb. ground sirloin (90/10)
· 2 t. Italian seasoning
· 14 oz. tomatoes, diced
· 14 oz. tomato sauce
· 10 oz. tomatoes with green chiles
· Kosher salt
· Freshly ground black pepper
· 1 lb. macaroni, dried
· 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
· 8 oz. shredded Mexican cheese
· Panko breadcrumbs
METHOD
1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter until liquid.
2. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic. Stir and cook for 5 minutes
3. Break up the ground sirloin and add to the pot. Sprinkle in the seasoning. Cook until the meat is no longer pink.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomatoes with green chiles. Stir to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 7 minutes.
5. Cook the macaroni per package instructions and drain.
6. In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked macaroni, the meat sauce. You could serve it in bowls at this point – OR – also add the shredded cheese and transfer the entire mixture to a 13×9 glass baking dish.
7. Top with the Panko breadcrumbs and bake in a 375-degree oven for 35 minutes.
8. No matter how you serve it, enjoy!
VARIANTS
The variations for this one is all about how you serve it. If you go for the more chili version, top with the cheese instead of mixing it in for the casserole. Add any other things you want on your chili.
