Baked Chili Cheese Macaroni
- Ready In:
- 1hr 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Yields:
-
8 cups
- Serves:
- 8
ingredients
- table salt
- 1⁄2 lb elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked pasta)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 12 ounces colby-monterey jack cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and add dry macaroni; cook until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Using the same large pot, wipe dry and heat over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until shimmering. Add ground beef and break it up in pieces to brown. Once browned, remove from pot and discard drippings. Set beef aside.
- Add remaining oil to the same large pot and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, garlic, red pepper, chili powder, and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and begin to brown.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, reserved 3/4 cup pasta water and beef to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until flavors have blended.
- Stir in the cooked pasta, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking dish and smooth over with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle the top of the dish with the remaining shredded cheese. Return the dish once again in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese begins to melt and brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
heatherhopecs
United States