Quick Chili Mac
This is one of those dinners that looks like you worked way harder than you actually did. Big pot of smoky chili, creamy mac and cheese underneath, melted cheese bubbling on top… honestly it’s hard to go wrong here.
It’s also the kind of meal that somehow gets better after sitting in the fridge overnight, so if you’re cooking once and eating for a few days, this one earns its place.
Not fancy. Not complicated. Just really good comfort food.
What You’ll Need
Chili
1 package ground turkey
1 package sage sausage
3 jalapeños, seeded and diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans Hatch green chiles
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 can dark kidney beans, drained
About 4 tablespoons cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Garlic powder
Salt and black pepper
About 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Mac & Cheese
Pasta
1 stick butter
Heavy cream
Cheese
Directions
Brown the ground turkey and sage sausage in a skillet until cooked through and getting some color on it. Dump everything into a larger pot.
Using the same skillet, throw in the jalapeños, bell pepper, and onion. Let them soften for a few minutes and scrape up all the flavor left in the pan from the meat.
Add the vegetables to the large pot along with the diced tomatoes, Hatch chiles, green enchilada sauce, and kidney beans.
Season with cumin, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Bring everything to a simmer while you make the mac and cheese.
For the mac and cheese, I keep it simple. Cook your pasta, then stir in butter, heavy cream, and cheese until creamy. No complicated cheese sauce situation here.
Layer the mac and cheese into a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven. Spoon the chili over the top. Add more cheese, a drizzle of heavy cream, and plenty of black pepper.
Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover for the last 10 minutes so the top gets bubbly and browned around the edges.
Let it sit for about 15 minutes before serving unless you enjoy burning the roof of your mouth immediately.
Perfect weeknight dinner. Even better the next day.
