Redneck One-Pot Stovetop Chili Mac and Cheese Pasta Casserole

Hello, and welcome back to the Cuban Redneck Kitchen, where today I bring you a sensational ground beef dinner recipe that’s on the table in just over 25 minutes. This recipe maybe a little bit of an off-topic dish for this channel, but I think it is appropriate with the 4th of July around the corner.

As I mention in the video, the Chili Mac and Cheese dish was something a group of friends I used to interact with while living in Huston used to make quite often during weekend hangouts and parties. For a while, I thought this was their invention. But years later, while visiting Galveston, I found it served at a local restaurant. I am not sure what the origin or if this is a Texas thing, but I find little reference to it online, and none of the One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese on YouTube don’t even come close.

Mac and Beef Chili, there is somewhat of a Tex-Mex, cowboy hybrid, usually quite spicy. I am not 100% certain, but I am sure that chili powder, and for a fact, hot pepper flakes are part of it. With that said, and as I said in the video, this recipe is really not accurate to what I’ve had in Texas. I also substituted the pepper for a more mild variety. It is not rare to find Poblanos, Jalapenos, or even Serrano peppers in a cowboy Mac and Beef Chili.

Here are the ingredient for my Chili Mac and Cheese recipe as presented in the video. Know that this is a very flexible dish. I have yet to try it, but my friend Kyle uses Taco seasoning for the dry spices and says that his kids love it! Other tell me that it needs more cheese! My Chili Mac and Cheese recipe is what I perceive as a South Florida taste profile. So, take this list of ingredients with a grain of salt and feel free to experiment.

• 1 lb. 80% lead ground beef
• 2 – Cups of Penne Pasta
• 1 – 15 oz. Can of HORMEL Chili
• 1 – 15 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes
• 1 – 8 oz. Bar of Sharp Cheddar Cheese (diced into ¼ inch cubes)
• 5-6 Cloves of Garlic
• ¼ of an onion
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1/2 of a Green Bell Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon of:
  Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder,
  Onion Powder, Oregano, and Cumin
• ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
• 16 – oz. of water
• 16 – oz. of Pasta Sause
• 16 – oz. of Stock

Yes, this Chili Mac and Cheese is a one-pot meal. However, there are stages that we need to take into consideration. For one, if you have watched any of my videos, you know I like my ground beef well seasoned! Some of the best I have ever made was seasoned the night before! And if you want your first Chili Mac and Cheese to be a success, I suggest you start by measuring and mix all your dry spices. Depositing your ground beef into a dept saucepan or pot, break it up with a flat edge spatula, dust the dry seasonings over it, mix it well and let it rest for at least two hours.

While that ground beef is adsorbing the seasoning, let’s cut the onion, garlic, bell peppers, and I even added a few green onions from my garden.

After you have given the ground beef time to adsorb the seasonings, let get cooking! Bring your saucepan to the stove and set it to medium-high. After allowing the ground beef to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours, it will be cold. So, you may need a teaspoon of butter or olive oil to get the juices flowing. As the saucepan comes up to temp, work your beef, and break it down to your preference. The minute you start to see it change color, it is time to add the onion and the green peppers. Cook that for 2-3 minutes while stirring it, and then add the garlic.

2-3 minutes later, and as the onion starts to get translucent, it is time to crank out heat to high and add the can of fire-roasted tomatoes. Continue to stir until the liquids come to a boil, and then add your water.

TIP #1 – Since I used a 15 oz. can of tomatoes, I used the same container to measure the water, broth, and pasta sauce. By doing this, I short-change myself by 3 oz. of liquid. In many instances, a little more liquid than specified yields a better result! *If you use the can as a measuring cup, make sure to add an additional splash to avoid a dry Mac and Beef Chili.

After adding the water, and the saucepan coming back to temp, go ahead and add the stock. Once again, please wait until it comes back to a boil and adds the pasta sauce. Then add the red wine vinegar and the bay leaves. Stir it to make sure all your liquids are well incorporated, and add your pasta! Please keep it on high for a minute or two while stirring it, then cover it and lower the temperature to a medium-high on my stove that is somewhere between five and six. We are seeking a slow-boil (smaller bubbles). We are going to cook this about twice as long as your pasta recommends. So, if the brand of pasta you are using says 11 minutes like mine, check back on it around the 22-minute mark and check for tenderness. It should be just about done! At which point we are going to add our cheese!

TIP #2 – I know that many people are going to question why to go through the trouble of dicing a bar of cheese. Why not buy a bag of grated cheese? I personally like to see and taste the cheese, and when I have used grated cheese, even the coursed one, in the past, it has melted to the point that it disappears. Hen you dice the cheese, you a more cheesy and stringy bite like in pizza!

Well, my friends, this is the end of yet another meal here at the Cuban Redneck DIY channel. I look forward to seeing you next week with yet another recipe. I hope you make this soon, and if you like it, I would love to hear from you in the comment section.