Cheesy Baked Chili Mac Comfort Food Casserole is a mix of two cherished American dishes: chili and macaroni and cheese. Just envision elbow macaroni combined with a rich chili mixture intensified with tomato paste and aromatic seasonings. Want to elevate it? Go for some cheese, maybe sprinkle some onion powder, or even toss in a medium onion for that added depth of flavor. Ideal for a heartwarming evening at home or when you're aiming to impress a crowd at a get-together or potluck. What's more? It's straightforward and customizable to your taste. Turn up the heat on medium-high heat, play around with the spices, or just follow this hearty chili mac recipe to the tee.
My first introduction to Chili Mac was Betty Crocker's Hamburger Helper Chili Macaroni, a staple in many households in the 70s. I was a working Mom raising two kids. It was a much simpler time. Scratch cooking was being replaced by convenience products that allowed us to get home from work and still get dinner on the table before bedtime. No one thought much about additives, preservatives, or artificial ingredients. These packaged meals were easy, and fast, and many of them tasted good, including chili macaroni, my kid's favorite!
Fast forward fifty years. I have all the time in the world to get dinner on the table. But, I still like a comfort food classic like chili mac now and again. I am not inclined to grab boxed "dinners" off the shelf in the grocery store these days. I knew the recipe for chili mac could not be too complicated. For budgetary and nostalgia reasons, I have created a modern version of the classic favorite, this one as an cheesy casserole vs stove-top stew.
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CHEESY BAKED CHILI MAC COMFORT FOOD CASSEROLE IS:
- Nostalgic - It will remind you of your childhood watching your mama cooking in the kitchen.
- Easy - This dish can be on the table in minutes!
- Budget Friendly - no fancy ingredients needed here. It's a good bet that you already have everything you need to make Chili Mac.
- Customizable - From cheese sauce preferences to the heat level. Tailor-made for two or easily multiplied for more.
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENT NOTES
- The ingredients for Cheesy Baked Chili Mac Comfort Food Casserole are simple.
- Cheddar cheese works best, but any good melting cheese will work.
- Use whatever macaroni noodles you like.
- Bell pepper is optional.
- Chili seasonings? Think paprika, chili powder, and perhaps a hint of onion powder for that flavor punch!
VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- Replace all or part of the ground beef with kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, chili beans, or a dark red kidney bean for a vegetarian version.
- Use ground turkey in place of ground beef.
- Add a couple of cloves garlic, chopped, when you cook the onions.
- Add ½ small can of green chilies.
- For those who like their chili mac with a kick, cayenne pepper or hot sauce can replace paprika. You can even toss in a medium onion, finely chopped, for that extra layer of flavor.
Tomato paste and water is a good substitute for tomato sauce. Use ¼ cup of tomato paste combined with ⅓ cup of water to replace ½ cup of tomato sauce.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Add oil and onions to a large nonstick skillet and cook until translucent.
Add the ground beef and cook, breaking the beef into smaller bite-sized pieces.
Brown ground beef is no longer pink. Set skillet aside.
Cook macaroni in a large pot according to the instructions on the package.
Add the seasonings, tomato sauce, ketchup, and water to the beef mixture.
Cook over medium heat until nice caramel color develops.
Drain the macaroni and add the cooked pasta to the skillet.
Stir over medium heat to combine the macaroni with the chili.
Add ½ cup cheese to the chili mac mixture in the skillet until cheese melts.
Transfer the chili mac to an oven-proof baking dish.
Top with remaining cheese and place in a 350-degree oven for about 20 mins.
Remove when the casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted.
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Cheesy Baked Chili Mac Comfort Food Casserole
Equipment
- Large skillet.
- Large pot
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 ounces macaroni
- 4 ounces tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons chili powder more if you like it spicy
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- Sliced scallions and sour cream for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Add macaroni to boiling salted water and cook to al dente' stage, then drain.
- While macaroni is cooking, brown onion in olive oil, in a large skillet, on medium high heat until just translucent.
- Add the ground beef and continue to cook until browned and crumbly.
- To the ground beef mixture add tomato sauce, ketchup, water, chili powder, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese. Continue to heat until cheese is melted.
- Pour the macaroni and ground beef mixture into a small casserole dish. Sprinkle on the remaining ¼ cup of cheese.
- Bake at 325 degrees until the cheese on top melts and chili mac is heated through.
- Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of finely sliced scallions.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition information is provided as a convenience and courtesy only. You are encouraged to do your own calculations if precise data is required.
We take every effort to ensure that the estimated meal cost per serving is accurate. We use a meal cost analysis application that estimates the cost of a recipe based on groceries purchased at a Walmart store in my geographical area, northern California.
Sandra says
I am sure this is many times better than the boxed mix! Thanks for linking up at The Four Seasons Blog Hop! Sandra from Scrumptilicious 3 You!
Prototype Mama says
Oh, I use to love when my grandmother made chilli mac for dinner! Thanks for sharing your recipe over at That's Fresh Friday this weekend.