chili mac worth eating

Here again, quality of ingredients is the key to producing a worthwhile final product.

1 lb. ground beef
3 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2-4 TB chili powder*
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 c. low-sodium chicken broth (or water if broth is not on hand)
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 cup elbow macaroni

In a 4 quart saucepan on medium-high heat, brown the ground beef in 2 TB of olive oil. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Add the diced onion and the additional TB of oil to the saucepan. Saute for approximately 5 minutes or until softened and slightly brown. Add 2 TB of chili powder to the onions and toss through, allowing the spices in the chili powder to toast and bloom.

Pour in the entire contents of the can of tomatoes along with the water. Add salt, cayenne, and up to 2 TB more chili powder to taste. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Turn the heat to medium-high and add the dried macaroni to the simmering chili. Cook for 10 minutes more or until macaroni are cooked to desired doneness.

Serve with any of the following:

• shredded cheddar cheese
• chopped onion or scallion
• sour cream
• fresh salsa
  
• hot sauce

* Be sure to use a really good chili powder -- you are making chili, aren't you? I buy mine from The Spice House, a spice retailer in Chicago. You can order all kinds of spices directly from them online. My preference is to buy the regular chili powder and add extra heat with cayenne as I am cooking. It gives me more flexibility and I don't have to have two jars of chili powder in my pantry.

By the way, cooking the chili powder in two ways (toasting with oil and then adding directly with the liquid) develops a more interesting flavor profile in this dish. The toasted chili powder is more mellow, with deeper, more complex flavors. The chili powder added to the liquid brings a fresher, brighter flavor to the dish. The combination helps to deliver maximum flavor with minimum effort.