Kitchen Sink Chili Mac Recipes

KITCHEN SINK CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven, on medium.
• Add the onion and pepper, and saute until the onions are starting to turn translucent.
• Break up the beef and add it to the dutch oven.
• When about half of the meat is browned, add the jalapeño and garlic.
• Continue to cook until all of the meat is browned. I usually use ground turkey or very lean beef, so I don't bother to drain it. But, if you want to, now is the time to drain off the fat and oil.
• Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, brown sugar, bay leaves, and marinara sauce and stir.
• Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and espresso.
• If you prefer a thick chili (like me), add the tomato paste.
• Stir in the chocolate, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and chili powder (that's a lot of c-words!). Cook for at least 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes, add more chili powder (or cayenne, or hot sauce) if it isn't spicy enough for you.
• Add the oregano in the last 5 minutes of cooking so that it doesn't get bitter.
• This, like most chili, is better the next day, or when it's been simmering all day. And you have only one pan to clean!

KITCHEN SINK CHILI MAC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the elbow macaroni until just shy of al dente, about 5 minutes.
• In the meantime, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the celery, carrot, bell pepper and red onion. Season with a pinch of salt and saute until the veggies begin to get tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, another 30 seconds.
• Add the ground beef and brown it with the veggies, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Season with the cumin, chili powder and a pinch of salt; toss the beef and veggies around in the skillet another minute or two. Add the diced tomatoes and stir into the mix. Transfer the mostly-cooked elbow macaroni to the skillet and stir to combine.
• Transfer the chili mac to any casserole dish you want! Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake, uncovered, until the cheese is browned and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes.