Ingredients
Method
Make the Chili
- Cook and crumble ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until beef is browned and onions are soft. Drain the grease.
- Add bell peppers and garlic; cook until peppers soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in seasoning and tomato paste, then cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and simmer while preparing the macaroni and cheese. Add drained kidney beans during the final 10 minutes of simmering.
Make the Mac and Cheese
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Boil salted water for the macaroni. Prepare the cheese sauce while the water heats. Once boiling, add macaroni and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain immediately.
- Melt butter in a 4.5-quart Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat until it foams. Whisk in flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Gradually add heavy cream and milk in splashes, stirring continuously.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in hot sauce and seasonings, then lower heat to low.
- Gradually sprinkle in shredded cheese, stirring constantly until smooth and well combined.
- Stir in the drained macaroni. Use slightly less pasta if a cheesier consistency is desired, as noodles will absorb the sauce.
Combine the Chili & Macaroni
- Gently fold the chili into the macaroni using a silicone spatula. Adjust the amount of chili to your preference and freeze any leftovers.
Bake
- Top with 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 5 minutes until melted. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips:
Homemade Chili Seasoning (What I usually use for this recipe) • 2 teaspoons chili powder • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • ½ teaspoon paprika • ½ teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon pepper • 1 pinch cayenne
Make-Ahead Methods:
Storage
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per cup. There are approximately 18 cups in this recipe.
- Shred the cheese from a block as it will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese.
- Monterey Jack Cheese makes a nice addition to the cheddar as well.
- The beans in the chili can be omitted if preferred. Drained/rinsed black beans may be used instead of kidney beans as well.
- You can't taste the hot sauce in the mac and cheese, it is used as a flavor enhancer. I usually use Texas Pete Hot Sauce. (Frank's hot sauce is my trusty backup!)
- Cornbread makes an excellent side dish with this! OR
- 📘 Find this recipe on page 202 of my 2nd cookbook, Let's Eat!
Homemade Chili Seasoning (What I usually use for this recipe) • 2 teaspoons chili powder • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • ½ teaspoon paprika • ½ teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon pepper • 1 pinch cayenne
Make-Ahead Methods:
- Option 1: Make the chili 1-2 days ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to serve. Reheat on the stove top until heated through, then proceed with cooking the macaroni and combining with the chili as outlined.
- Option 2: The entire recipe can be assembled without the cheese topping and stored in the fridge until ready to serve. I suggest boiling the macaroni 1 minute shy of al dente in this case. When ready to serve, reheat the chili mac on the stop top until heated through. Top with cheese and bake at 400 ° for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Leftovers can be frozen and do reheat well, be extra careful not to overcook the macaroni so that it's not mushy when reheated. (I always use a timer.)
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per cup. There are approximately 18 cups in this recipe.