Chili Mac - Savor Da Slop

Guys, this was good. Like really good. Probably cause I finally added a little more fat into the dish? Normally, I avoid adding too much fat. Unfortunately it’s what makes restaurant dishes, “restaurant quality.” And, of course, adequate salt usage. I’ve got that heavy salt bae hand hand, so that’s not my issue.

Let me explain. By no means am I afraid of fat. Adding healthy fats like nuts, seeds, olive oil, and nut butters would make my dishes restaurant quality all while being very healthy; however, because fats, even healthy ones are so calorie dense, I’d eat smaller portions. No thanks. 

I love food so much that I’ve spent years meticulously crafting the perfect balance between flavor, health, and volume. Hence this series. Honestly, the only sustainable way to do that is excluding some fats. 

For this dish, I kept the fats in moderation, but added them nonetheless. It’s precisely what this dish needed to make it one of my favorite slops. My fat of choice, cheese. Arguably the most versatile dairy product.

Oh, if I forgot to mention how easy this dish is, check this. 

Don't judge the browning - my oven's not great. Delicious tho, trust.

One pan. 

No stovetop. 

Just oven. 

Chili Mac

Preheat your oven to 375. 

Roughly chop onion, always onion. Listen, these dishes are for you, not your partner. Dice up some peppers, and optionally jalapeños if you feel so inclined. 

In a greased baking dish, add your canned tomatoes, tomato paste, kidney beans, diced onion, and peppers. Mix her up. 

Season all of that with Italian seasoning, chili powder, garlic powder, and parsley. Also mix her up. 

If you feel lazy, throw in your whole wheat pasta elbows right into the dish. Just make sure there’s enough liquid to actually cook them (water, tomatoes, etc.) If you want a better product, boil the noods for ~5 min first. Either way, cover with aluminum foil and bake for ~30 minutes. 

At roughly 30 minutes, check for doneness of the noodles. God, I hope they’re at least close to being done by this point. If so, add some asiago, white cheddar, American, and cottage cheese. Mix that in and cook for another 5-10 minutes. 

Once the noodles are really cooked, add more cheese on top and broil until it starts to brown. Obviously remove the aluminum foil for this part. 

Once it’s broiled to your liking, remove and LET IT SIT. Please be patient - it will solidify more as it starts to cool - otherwise you’ll just be eating chili mac soup. Still good, but you want that thickness. Trust. Thick is always better. 

That’s it. Done. You could serve her up with some parsley, sourdough bread or whatever you feel like.