Good Afternoon Foodies, today I’ve got an absolute treat to share with you.
It’s a cold winters evening, and you don’t know what to cook? Just finished work, and don’t have the energy to whip up anything delicious? Well today’s your lucky day..
What do you get when you take two household favourites, and combine them as one? You get an absolute banger of a meal. Well this time anyway.
Chilli Con Carne + Mac & Cheese
Today I present to you my Chilli Beef Mac & Cheese ready in 20 minutes.. and the best part, it’s a one-pot recipe because we all know doing the dishes is overrated.
LESSSGOOO!!
Ingredients
- Mince Beef 500g
- Macaroni Elbows 300g
- Kidney Beans 400g
- Diced Tomatoes 800g
- Beef Stock 600g
- Red Onion x2
- Red Capsicum x1
- Minced Garlic 1 tsp
- Olive Oil 1 tsp
- Cheese 200g
- Cayenne Pepper 1 tsp
- Cajun Powder 1.5 tsp
- Cumin 1.5 tsp
- Garlic and Onion Powder 1.5 tsp
- Oregano 1.5 tsp
- Salt 1 tsp
Preparation
- First things first, I like to get a small bowl and add all the different spices, mix, and set aside for later.
- Next up I’ll dice the red capsicum and onion into little pieces.
- Also you want to drain the Red Kidney Beans, by pouring them into a strainer and washing them with water.
Getting Down to Business
- Step 1: In a large pot heat a teaspoon of olive oil, then add the onions. Here you want to sauté them for approx 2min or until fragrant.
Next up add the capsicum, stir and cook for approx 1 min.
- Step 2: Add the beef mince to the pot. I like to use the leanest beef mince I can find, to try keep the saturated fat content as low as possible. Cook the beef mince on high heat until it is browned.
- Step 3: Once the beef is brown, all you have to do is simply add all the other ingredients except for the cheese.
Diced Tomatoes
Red Kidney Beans
Spice Blend
The Beef Stock
And of course the Pasta
Letting the Magic Happen
Believe it or not we’re pretty much done here, told you it was easy 😉
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and let the contents of the pot simmer until the pasta is al dente. This should take approx 12min. Most of the sauce should have evaporated by then, however you still want a little bit left once it’s ready.
Contents simmering, and Pasta cooking
This is what it should look like once cooked al dente
Time for the Best Part.. Almost
Once cooked, put 1 cup of cheese in the pot mixing it through the contents. Cheddar or Tasty cheese is good for this, however I like to use a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar to give it a stronger flavour, and that gooey texture characteristic of the mozzarella.
Add the Cheese
Mix it through
Cover with the remaining Cheese
Here you have two options:
You can put the lid back on the pot and let it sit for a few minutes to melt the cheese
It will look like this
OR
You can put it in the oven and grill for a few minutes on 200 degrees celcius, until the cheese is golden brown. That’s how we like it.
How Bloody Good
Absolutely delicious.
Got that cheesy deliciousness of your favourite Mac & Cheese, combined with the heartiness of a flavoursome Chilli.
It’s a creation you definitely got to try. Ultimate comfort food, that’s incredibly easy to make.
It’s a win-win if you ask me.
Hope you all love the recipe ❤️