One of my fellow foodie friends forwarded me the recipe for this easy chili mac recipe and it was a big hit with the fam. And it makes for great leftovers. I think it may be even better reheated! One thing I really liked about this recipes is that the pasta cooks in the chili for the last little bit. I don’t know about you but cooking pasta is always a drain (Get it? bad joke, I know!). So one thing I did on that front was to buy a pasta pot that has a drain in the lid and let me tell you, it was one of the best kitchen purchases ever! I use this pot for so much more than pasta too. I also use this pot for cooking ground beef, or sausage or anything that needs to be drained. And sometimes I even make things in it that don’t need to be drained like scrambled eggs. So I will share this little gem with you that has made cooking much easier for me (I have no affiliation with this company and get nothing if you buy one. Just a tip):

http://www.amazon.com/Bialetti-Taste-Italy-Locking-Strain/dp/B00B11TJ3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374245222&sr=8-1&keywords=bialetti+pasta+pot

So onto the cooking part. Here is the link to the original recipe:

http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2013/04/skillet-chili-mac.html

and here’s how I made it (I omitted the bell peppers and jalapenos because we aren’t the biggest fans and added more cheese):

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil
• 1-1/2 cups of chopped onion
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 pound of raw breakfast sausage
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 2-1/2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce
• 1 (7 ounce) can green chilies
• 2 cups of water
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-1/2 cups of small pasta shells (can also use elbow macaroni)
• 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• Optional Garnishes: Sliced green onions, fresh diced tomatoes, sour cream, more cheese or your other favorite chili toppings

Instructions
Heat the oil in a large lidded skillet over medium high heat; add the onion, and cook for about 4 minutes, or until tender. To that, add the ground beef, sausage and garlic, breaking up the meat and cooking, until no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasonings.
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and green chilies; stir. Add the water, beans, pasta and 1 cup of cheese. Bring to a boil, stir, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is cooked through; uncover, stir and let simmer, uncovered, until reduced to desired consistency. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, cover and cook over low until cheese melts. Garnish with sliced green onions, fresh diced tomatoes, sour cream or your other favorite chili toppings.

ENJOY!!!