Chili Mac

One of my favorite comfort foods is Chili Mac. I mean, I love Chili, and I love Mac and Cheese...so it's the perfect combination of both. I've tried my fair share of it over the years, and I finally found the best recipe to make at home. Dr. Sweetpea and I devoured all of this in two days flat. Yes, it's that good.

Chili Mac

(Source: Homeroom Cookbook)

Chili:

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks

1 green pepper, cored, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks

1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

1 onion diced

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained

1 (16 ounce) can pinto beans, drained

1 (16 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Mac:

1/2 pound dried elbow pasta

2 cups mac sauce *recipe is below*

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

To make chili: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the bell peppers, jalapeno, onion and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the ground beef, and stir to break up the beef into small chunks. When the beef begins to brown, add the salt, chili powder, cayenne powder, oregano, and cumin. Cook for 2 more minutes to allow the spices to become fragrant. Add the beans with canned crushed tomatoes. Cook until the mixture reaches a boil. Turn off the heat, taste and use for the Chili Mac. 

To make the mac: Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until less than al dente. Drain, rinse the pasta with cold water, and drain again. Add the sauce, the Cheddar, and 2 cups of of the chili to a large, heavy bottomed pot and cook over medium heat. Stir until the cheese is barely melted. Slowly add the cooked pasta, stir, and continue cooking while stirring continuously until the dish is nice and hot. 

Mac Sauce: 

3 cups whole milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt

Heat the milk in a pot over medium heat until it just starts to bubble, but is not boiling, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Heat the butter over medium heat in a separate, heavy-bottomed pot. When the butter has just melted, add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture turns light brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Slowly pour the warm milk, about 1 cup at a time, into the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly. It will get very thick when you first add the milk, and thinner as you slowly pour in the entire 3 cups. This is normal. Once all the milk has been added, set the pot back over medium-high heat, and continue to whisk constantly. In the next 2 to 3 minutes the sauce should come together and become silky and thick. Use the spoon test to make sure it's ready: Dip a metal spoon into the sauce—if the sauce coats the spoon and doesn't slide off like milk, you'll know it's ready. You should be able to run your finger along the spoon and have the impression remain. Add the salt. The Mac Sauce is ready to use immediately and does not need to cool. Store it in the fridge for a day or two if you want to make it ahead of time—it will get a lot thicker when put in the fridge, so it may need a little milk to thin it out a bit when it comes time to melt in the cheese. Try melting the cheese into the sauce first, and if it is too thick then add milk as needed.