This tasty, cheesy, crazy good chili mac is so good that your belly will say oh thank you, thank you (and your family!). This one-pot meal is ready in less than an hour, and there’s almost no cleanup.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups canola oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup chili powder
• 2 cups ground cumin
• 1/8 – 1/4 cup cayenne pepper (to taste, I used 1/8 cup)
• salt and pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 (15 oz can of tomato sauce)
• 2 c. water
• 8 oz. whole grain macaroni
• 2 tsp. grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large (12-inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, onion, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and 1/2 cup salt. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until it loses all its pink colour, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add brown sugar, tomato sauce, water and macaroni. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat to maintain a high simmer (between medium and medium-high), until macaroni is tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
3. Remove from heat and stir in half the cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.