Chili Mac
Modified from this recipe
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chiles
1 (14.5 oz.) can Mexican stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 C. water
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 c. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 C. sharp cheddar cheese
1 C. Monterrey Jack cheese
1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.
2. Cook ground beef, onion, and green chilis in a large skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink; pour off drippings. Add tomatoes, water, and seasonings; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Toss pasta with meat mixture. Spoon half of the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 C. cheddar and 1/2 C. monterrey jack cheese, add remaining meat mixture, then top with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil; bake in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
Comments:
This is one of those things that I threw together trying to use ingredients I had on hand at home and it worked out surprisingly well. The original recipe just uses a packet of taco seasoning, but I didn't have any so these are the seasonings I used instead and it worked out great. It is fairly mild since I wanted my two small children to eat it, so you may want to add more if you want more kick. Thankfully, my three-year-old who has not been eating much lately loved it and asked for seconds!
