A new twist on a classic recipe, with our new Matte Navy collection. 💙 Justin Chapple grew up loving his Grandma Barbara’s Chili Mac – she would add sautéed onions, ground beef, canned tomatoes, and chili powder to boxed mac and cheese for a quick, easy weeknight dinner. Now, he makes his own version from scratch, packed with bold flavors and a crunchy panko topping.
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Ingredients (6 servings):
1 pound elbow macaroni or other small pasta shape
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
Kosher salt
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons chili powder
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup half-and-half
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (yellow or white)
1 cup chopped scallions, plus more for garnish
½ cup chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Bring a large Dutch oven of water to a boil and add a small handful of salt. Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain well, then drizzle with olive (just a little to prevent sticking) and toss to coat.
3. In the same Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, poblano, garlic, jalapeño, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until just cooked through, about 7 minutes. Stir in the flour and chili powder until evenly coated, then stir in the tomatoes and half-and-half and simmer until thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pasta, 2 cups of the cheese, and the scallions. Season the mixture generously with salt and pepper.
4. Scrape the mixture into a 2 to 2 ½-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix the panko with a generous drizzle of olive oil and the remaining 1 cup of cheese; sprinkle on top of the pasta. Bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbling and the top is golden. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and serve.