Easy Chili Mac and Cheese

We might as well just face it. 

We're soup-addicts. 

Year-round soup addicts. 

I feel a lot less sheepish about sharing whatever soup recipe we've tried and loved during the Fall/Winter weather because, quite frankly, those seasons seems a little more apropos to a steaming hot bowl of soup. Doesn't mean we haven't been sneaking a bowl of soup here and there during Spring/Summer! We just can't get enough! Now we have a huge stockpile of soup recipes that we have tried and adored, and with the weather cooling down to a crisp level, its time to open the flood gates and start cycling them through our menu more often. This one was pretty high on our list, and became a favorite the first time we tried it. 

What I love about this soup is how simple it is. The ingredients are all pretty straight forward, there's not a ton of spices, and we loved the way the beans and beef were super hearty; not to mention the fun twirly noodles we couldn't leave the grocery store without! There's nothing like a super-low maintenance soup that comes together in under 25-30 minutes start to finish. I toasted up some crusty bread with a little butter and garlic powder, chopped up some fresh Fall apples and crisp garden veggies, and we were all set for dinnertime. My little man slurped up all the noodles first, and my husband and I had the leftovers for lunch the next couple days. Don't forget the shredded melty cheese when you're serving up the bowls! You can melt them in the cooking pot over the chili while it's finishing up, or right on the bowls at the dinner table. I think next time we'll try some sharp cheddar to cut through the soup a little better. It was still pretty awesome! This soup would be perfect to serve in a crusty bread bowl. MmmmMMmm!! 

Easy Mac and Cheese Chili

makes 6 servings

ingredients:

1 T EVOO

2 cloves garlic

1 medium onion, diced

8oz ground beef

4 C chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 t chili powder

1 1/2 t cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

10oz short pasta of your choice 

3/4 C cheddar cheese 

2 T chopped fresh parsley leaves

method:

1. In a soup pot over medium high heat, add garlic, onion, and ground beef. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, onion is translucent, and the beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Crumble beef as it cooks, and when finished cooking (and a little charred brown), drain the grease/oil/fat. 

2. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, both types of beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, and then toss in pasta. Bring to a boil, cover with lid, slow to a simmer. Simmer until pasta is cooked through, 15 minutes. 

3. Remove from heat and top with cheese. Cover with a lid and let that gooey cheese melt, 2 minutes. Serve with parsley as a garnish, with a pile of crusty bread. 

recipe source: Damn Delicious