Thursday, March 8, 2012

Cheesy Chili Mac

Can you guys see that string of cheese attached to the spoon!  Is it making you crave some cheesy, creamy, flavorful macaroni?  It is?  Well, you should make this pasta!  It was really good and it was done in less than 30 minutes!  Perfect weeknight dinner.   

This dish is right up my alley! I love each and every ingredient, especially the corn. I love biting into corn and getting that burst of juicy goodness.  This dish had a special ingredient that gave it some amazing flavor and I can't wait to try it in other savory dishes.  It was brown sugar and it added a perfect richness to this dish. 
Cheesy Chili Mac
1 Lb. ground beef or turkey 
1/2 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl. chili powder
1 Tbl. ground cumin
1 Tbl. brown sugar
salt and pepper
2 c. water
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
8 oz. elbow mac (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 - 2 c. Mexican cheese blend
corn, opt.
black beans, opt.
chopped cilantro, for garnish

Heat large skillet over medium heat; add the ground meat and cook until browned.  A few minutes before the meat is done, add the minced onion.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the chili powder, cumin and brown sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the water and tomato sauce; stir well to combine.  If adding the corn and beans, add now.  Add the uncooked noodles, cover pan and cook until noodles are done, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Don't be afraid of adding a little extra water if needed.  Turn off heat and add the cheese; stir to melt.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.   

Jenn's Notes: I used ground beef, but I think ground turkey would be delicious too.  I added a mixture of Pepper Jack and Cheddar cheese instead of Mexican, because that is what I had.  I probably added around 1/3 - 1/2 cup of both the corn and beans.  I think 2 cups of pasta was too much and next time I would probably only add 1 1/2 cups.  This dish was creamy, flavorful and super yummy!    

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