During the season of Autumn we search for coziness and comfort wherever we can get it, and one of the many things we find extreme comfort in is food. Food is what we turn to when we’re hungry and craving something wonderful, in need of a celebration, preparing for a party, or just looking to cuddle up on the couch with the creamiest bowl of macaroni and cheese to get the biggest internal hug of your life. This macaroni and cheese chili bake will absolutely bring you every single level of comfort you’re in need of this Fall! It is super creamy, insanely cheesy, and packed with all of the spicy chili goodness you could ever want. This big bowl of hearty deliciousness is best topped with the exact same toppings you’d top your regular serving of chili off with. Sour cream, salsa, your favorite hot sauce and a sprinkle of green onion is exactly what this dish needs to send your taste buds soaring! When two of your favorite comfort dishes get together and become one of the greatest things you’ll ever eat, it’ll be very hard to resist making it over and over again each week!

Let’s make the chili portion!

• In a saute pan over medium heat add one tablespoon of olive oil and a small diced white onion.
• After a few minutes of allowing the onions to become translucent, chop up one pound of ground beef in the same pan.
• Allow the beef and onions to cook until fully browned.

Time to season the meat as if you were making a big pot of chili for game day!

• 2 1/2 tablespoons of chili powder.
• 1 tablespoon of cumin.
• 2 tablespoons of paprika.
• 2 tablespoons of garlic powder.
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder.
• 1/2 tablespoon of everything but the elote seasoning.
• A pinch of cayenne depending on how much spice you like.
• Then season with seasoned salt, and black pepper to taste.

• Pour in one cup of water and one cup of your favorite tomato sauce.
• Let the chili simmer on low heat while you make the macaroni and cheese.

Boil some fun pasta for the macaroni and cheese chili bake!

• I used rotelle!

Let’s make a roux!

• It may seem like a complicated word, but a roux is actually quite simple.
• Whisk together three tablespoons of butter and three tablespoons of flour.
• Cook for two minutes over low heat.

The sauce before the cheese:

• Pour in 2 cups of milk along with an 8oz. container of heavy cream.
• 1/2 block of cream cheese.
• 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard.
• A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
• Season with all of the chili seasonings you used in the chili mixture to taste along with some parsley and chives.

Bring this white sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer to allow to thicken for five minutes.

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Time for the cheese!!!

• 10 slices of American cheese.
• An entire block of mild cheddar cheese. Freshly shredded is better for melting!
• Whisk that together and let the cheese fully melt before adding in the pasta.

What a delicious sight Diamonds!

Time to layer the chili over the macaroni and cheese in a casserole dish and sprinkle with Mexican shredded cheese.

Garnish with green onions and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, and then finish it by broiling for five minutes.

This is the perfect meal to make on a Sunday after your kids football game or on a Thursday night to have a hearty dinner before you start ordering your favorite takeout and dining out for the weekend! Any family would be more then happy to sit down to this meal Diamonds! I promise you.

I hope you Diamonds are enjoying my Fall content so far! There is much more to come so follow at the bottom right hand corner and stay tuned for more pumpkin packed snacks and amazing comfort food!

xoxo