I needed an easy dinner to throw together earlier this week and this chili mac recipe fit the bill. The original was written for ground beef, macaroni, and pinto beans, but suggested experimenting with different meats. I opted to replace the ground beef with ground chicken and also swapped out the macaroni with whole wheat rotini and I ended up using black beans instead of pinto beans.

The end result was okay, but slightly bland. Adding some of the leftover pulled pork really helped perk it up. I also think adding some cilantro and a few more spices would have been helpful.

Chili Mac

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil (or bacon grease)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 450g ground chicken
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds, bruised
• 1 tsp. dhania-jeera masala¹
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1 small (400mL) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (540mL) can pinto beans (or black beans), drained
• 4 c. chicken broth²
• 250g macaroni (or other short pasta)³
• ~1 c. grated cheese (preferably a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack)
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and cook until softened (5-6 minutes).
3. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook for another minute or two.
4. Add the chicken and cook, stirring and breaking it up until cooked through (5-6 minutes).
5. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, dhania-jeera masala, oregano, and pepper and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
6. Add the tomato, beans, and broth and bring to a boil.
7. Add macaroni and reduce heat to medium.
8. Cook until pasta is done (7-8 minutes or according to package directions).
9. Stir in half the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Top with green onions, cilantro, and remaining cheese and serve.

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¹ The original recipe just called for 1/2 Tbsp. of cumin, which is how I made it this time. Having tasted it now though, I think I'd make it with a mix of cumin and dhania-jeera masala next time. ^Back
2 The original recipe called for 4 c. chicken broth, but since I was using a commercial broth concentrate, I was worried that would make it too salty, so I ended up using 3 c. of broth + 1 c. of water. Next time though, I think I'd just use the full 4 c. of broth. ^Back
3 The original recipe called for 220g macaroni. I didn't have macaroni, so I used 220g of whole wheat rotini instead. I found that the final dish was a bit too soupy for my liking. Next time I might try using a bit more pasta to see if that helps balance things out. ^Back