Baked Chili Cheese Macaroni

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• table salt
• 1/2 lb elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked pasta)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 12 ounces colby-monterey jack cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• 2 bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. stir in 1 tablespoon salt and add dry macaroni; cook until al dente. reserve 3/4 cup pasta water and drain pasta. transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• 3 using the same large pot, wipe dry and heat over medium heat. add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until shimmering. add ground beef and break it up in pieces to brown. once browned, remove from pot and discard drippings. set beef aside.
• 4 add remaining oil to the same large pot and return to medium heat until shimmering. add onions, garlic, red pepper, chili powder, and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and begin to brown.
• 5 add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, reserved 3/4 cup pasta water and beef to the pot. bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until flavors have blended.
• 6 stir in the cooked pasta, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking dish and smooth over with a spatula. bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.
• 7 remove from oven and sprinkle the top of the dish with the remaining shredded cheese. return the dish once again in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese begins to melt and brown. cool for 10 minutes before serving.