It’s that time of year! Cold, rainy, and windy here in Indiana. We’re expecting snow in a few days – Baked Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella is the perfect yummy bite. You’ll be all warm and cozy in no time, guaranteed. And it’s a very quick dish – 35-40 minutes.
Serve with a green salad and a warm loaf of crusty Italian bread. Heavenly!
I just love to eat gnocchi. The first time I ate them was in eastern Pennsylvania just outside Philadelphia in the 1980’s. The Philly area is populated with lots of Italian Americans, and you can find very good Italian restaurants everywhere. The corporation I worked for at the time had their eastern headquarters there. Every time I attended a meeting or training session, I had to have gnocchi. Pillowy soft warm little dumplings served in a divine tomato sauce – just wonderful. I don’t know if the gnocchi were homemade or not, but they sure tasted like they were. So light, and delicious with the satisfying mouth feel of a lovely petite dumpling. Who could resist? Not me.
Gnocchi was not available in Indianapolis in restaurants or groceries when I returned home. But over the next few years, packaged ones began to pop up at places like World Market, where they sell a nice variety of international foods. Now, you can find premade gnocchi anywhere. The potato gnocchi I used here I found at Trader Joe’s. And they were perfect for my casserole. Probably not as light as homemade, but not gummy either like other brands I’ve tried.
Homemade gnocchi is on my Foodie Bucket List. Anne Burrell has a nice recipe on Food Network from her series Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. Here’s a link to her instructional video about how and why of basic potato gnocchi. Obviously, this dish is a quick dish with premade gnocchi. But I wouldn’t discourage anyone from making their own. It will take a little longer though. Anne Burrell suggests making a double batch, cooking half and freezing the rest for another use. Brilliant!
What do I love about this recipe? I found Baked Gnocchi at Simply Delicious Food through Pinterest. When I decided to bring my little dumplings to life, it was late in the evening. But I had all the ingredients in my larder – potato gnocchi from TJ’s, canned tomatoes, fresh cherry tomatoes, bacon, and everything else including crusty bread and salad. Lucky me! I like the addition of halved fresh cherry tomatoes in the sauce. They lend fresh texture and just look pretty in the finished dish. And a little fresh or dried basil in the sauce as it’s cooking wouldn’t be a bad idea – I adore basil in any tomato dish, but it’s not essential. Bacon, how interesting? It adds a hint of deep smoky flavor. I would not have thought of that.
Let’s whip up a warm and tasty casserole, shall we? You will be well loved.
First on the list is to heat your oven to 400F degrees. Fill a 4-5 quart pot 2/3 full of water. Bring to a full boil. This will take a while as you know. Don’t watch it – make the delicious tomato-based sauce for the casserole in the meantime. It can sit at the ready after cooking is finished to receive your lovely gnocchi when they’re done.
Heat a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and the chopped bacon and cook until the bacon browns and releases most of its fat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Pour off most of the remaining liquefied bacon fat, and return the skillet to the stovetop. Add the minced garlic, paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes – cook for 30 seconds – don’t let the garlic brown or burn – this all goes very quickly. Add the canned and fresh tomatoes and the sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Throw in the crispy bacon and dried basil (if using). Stir and remove from heat.
Add heavy cream or yogurt. Sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Check seasoning. Set aside off the heat while you boil your gnocchi.
As they’re cooking, the gnocchi will float to the top. That’s when they’re finished. Using a slotted spoon, gently lift your gnocchi out of the boiling water and directly into the skillet with your sauce.
Gently mix everything and pour into a 3-quart ovenproof baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle the top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Pop the casserole into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown like this:
Remove from oven to a cooling rack. Let your casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.
And there you have it! Sprinkle with extra grated Parm and/or fresh chopped parsley and serve! Theoretically, you’ll end up with 2-3 plentiful servings. Richard and I ate half the first night for dinner and reheated the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Mamma Mia! This is sooooo delicious!
Yield: 2-3 servings
Baked Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomato & Mozzarella
It's that time of year! Cold, rainy, and windy here in Indiana. We're expecting snow in a few days - Baked Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella is the perfect yummy bite. You'll be all warm and cozy in no time, guaranteed. And it's a very quick dish - 35 minutes. Serve with a green salad and a warm loaf of crusty Italian bread. Heavenly!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound potato gnocchi
4-6 strips bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 - 150z can petite diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
12-16 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1 teaspoon sugar
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream or yogurt
Salt & Pepper
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
While you're waiting for the water to boil for the gnocchi, make the sauce. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Pour off the bacon grease. Return the skillet to the heat. Add garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika. Stir and cook for 30 seconds. Be sure not to let the garlic burn.
Add all tomatoes and sugar. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat. Add heavy cream or yogurt, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with 1/4 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until combined.
Cook the gnocchi according to package directions.
When they're done, use a slotted spoon to lift dumplings from the water and directly into the skillet with your sauce. Mix it all together. transfer to an ovenproof casserole lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Place in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely browned.
Remove casserole from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Serve with a warm crusty loaf of bread and a green salad. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley &/or grated Parmesan cheese. You could use fresh, sliced mozzarella in place of shredded, if desired.
If you’re like me, we scour the internet looking for delicious recipes that take us out of our comfort zone. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut of making the same dishes over and over again. It’s not like the meals aren’t delicious. But sometimes we just need to rock the boat a bit. I just love Pinterest and visit every day looking for inspiration. Pinterest is a great resource for me where I find great food bloggers and recipes of all sorts like this one:
I was looking around one afternoon and my eyes lit up when I landed onA Pinch of Yum and this wonderful recipe for Spicy Peanut Soup with Sweet Potato & Kale. Why don’t I ever think about combinations like this? I’m in the Midwest. I don’t think this way. Sweet potato simmered with sweet curry and turmeric in coconut milk and broth finished with kale – seriously flavorful. There are even chopped peanuts in the recipe that gives this soup a little crunch – awesome!
And healthy! Look at all the good stuff it’s made from. Lindsay’s soup is thickened with creamy peanut butter instead of the usual roux of butter, flour, and milk. I didn’t miss it a bit. Many of us serve soup as a first course to a holiday meal and Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with Peanuts and Kale would be a stellar beginning.
And quick! Forty minutes from cutting board to table. I always have sweet potatoes on hand during fall and winter, so that was a cinch. I bought a package of frozen, chopped kale at the grocery to make prep even easier.
I didn’t have jalapeno, so I substituted crushed red pepper flakes. Lindsay calls for two cups of water. I used chicken stock instead. She likes to leave her sweet potatoes in bite-sized chunks, and I mashed mine up a bit to make the soup thicker. Try it. You’ll love it!
This dish is a warm and comforting, healthy, gluten-free, bowl of happiness. Lindsay at a Pinch of Yum says she was inspired to make this soup based on a West African recipe for groundnut soup. It would be fabulous as a first course for a holiday meal.
Author: A Pinch of Yum, Lindsay
Recipe type: Soups & Stews
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small to medium onion, diced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-14 oz can fire roasted or petite diced tomatoes
1-14oz can light coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sweet curry powder (I use Penzey's)
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1-10oz bag frozen chopped kale
Instructions
Put olive oil in a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until lightly browned.
Add sweet potato cubes and stir until they become lightly browned - 3-5 minutes.
Add garlic, stir and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant - 1 minute.
Add the curry powder and turmeric to the sweet potatoes. Stir and cook until the spices are fragrant, a minute or so.
Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, chicken stock, salt, and chopped peanuts. Stir everything together.
Bring the soup to a simmer and continue to cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Add peanut butter and kale. Stir and continue to simmer until the soup is thick and creamy.
Starting with this recipe for Ina Garten’s Beef Bourguignon, I decided to create a new category I call Bucketlist. Mimi’s Bucketlist is a place for all the wonderful recipes I’ve collected over the years but never had the time or courage to try. This Mimi is retired so little time is no excuse. Now, I have to muster up the courage.
“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!” Julia Child, “My Life in France”
Boeuf Bourguignon If you’ve ever watched the Nora Ephron film “Julie & Julia” you’ll remember the classic French stew that inspired Julie Powell to author her successful blog “The Julie/Julia Project: Nobody here but us servantless American cooks…”
I remember attempting this recipe once when I was in high school. I was a member of the French Club and our sponsors took us to the Chez Paul restaurant in Chicago. Tres chic. I ordered Duck L’Orange. Turtle soup sounded disgusting. I don’t remember what prompted me to try Beef Bourguignon in my mother’s humble kitchen or who’s recipe I used, but I do remember desperately wanting to try a dish that would reflect my newly acquired sophisticated side. And to cook with wine! It’s beef stew, right? How hard could it be? Well, my father liked it. He loved me. My early dish was an early failure, but I grew to learn to appreciate technique and to follow a recipe. There’s so much to learn from really good cooks. I know and have known several.
I carefully reviewed several recipes over time comparing them with Julia Child’s recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I settled on Ina Garten’s because it was easier. OMG, it was delicious! According to Julia, the stew only gets better a day later as the flavors mellow. Yep!
Ina flames her cooked vegetables with cognac before adding the meat. I’m sure it lends a great rich flavor. But when a pint of cognac was $35 at the grocery, I decided to skip that part.
I’ve thought about doing this in a crockpot but am voting against it. I don’t think the liquid will cook down and thicken as well. And I’m not sure about an Instsapot because I’m not an Instapot fan. But, if any of you try it and decide otherwise, I’d love to hear from you with your results.
Get out your Dutch oven and let’s make some!
“Carefully done and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man.” Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Couldn’t agree more.
I bought a 2.5 lb chuck roast and cut it into cubes. I imagine you could use stew meat, but the chuck roast has more fat and renders down to tasty tender chunks while cooking in the oven. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a heavy 5-6 quart dutch oven over medium heat, brown the bacon until the fat renders and the bits are nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Set aside. I used three slices of bacon and added 2 Tablespoons olive oil to make sure there was enough fat to brown the beef. (Ina calls for 1/2 pound of bacon. Julia used a 6-ounce chunk of bacon that she cut into lardons and boiled. Hmmm) Add the beef cubes in a single layer to the pot. Once the cubes are browned on all sides, remove them to the plate with the bacon. Repeat with another batch of meat until it’s all browned.
See all the beautiful brown bits in the bottom of the pot? Wow – that’s serious flavor!
Add onions to the pot. Toss so they’re covered with fat.
Add the carrots, 2 teaspoons salt and 1-2 teaspoons black pepper. Toss to distribute.
Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the onions are just browned.
Add garlic, stir, and cook for one minute longer or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add the meat, bacon and all the juices into the pot.
Add one bottle of red wine. I used pinot noir.
Add enough beef stock to just cover the meat.
Add thyme and/or a bay leaf.
Add 2 Tablespoons tomato paste.
Stir everything together and bring to a simmer.
Put on a tight-fitting lid. Place covered Dutch oven in a 250°F oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Enjoy the smells coming from the oven!
In the meantime . . . make a Beurre manié
Beurre manié is a fancy French name for butter kneaded with flour to be used as a soup or stew thickener. I’ve used this for years in soups, stews, even sauerkraut, and it works pretty well. Mash room temperature butter with flour, one Tablespoon at a time, until you have this lovely paste. When the beef bourguignon comes out of the oven, add the beurre manié and stir to incorporate.
Also – brown mushrooms in butter. Set aside.
To Finish: Remove the pot from the oven to the stovetop. Take off the lid.
Add beurre manié. Stir to incorporate.
Add pearl onions and mushrooms to the pot. Stir.
Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for 15 minutes. Serve!
I served mine alongside mashed potatoes, but you could substitute egg noodles or rice. Julia suggests boiled potatoes, buttered peas, or a green salad.
Ina serves hers on larges slices of toasted country or sourdough bread smeared with a fresh garlic clove. Kind of like a bruschetta.
I served warm thick slices of French bread for dunking. The sauce invites it.
"Carefully done and perfectly flavored, it is one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man." Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking I agree!
Author: Ina Garten
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: French
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
¼ lb sliced bacon cut into strips
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2½ - 3 pounds chuck roast, but into 2" cubes
1 pound carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 750ml bottle full-bodied red wine, pinot noir or burgundy
2 cups beef broth
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf (optional)
4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 Tablespoons flour
12 oz package frozen onions
1 pound mushrooms thickly sliced or quartered
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250F degrees
Cut chuck roast into 2" chunks. Place on baking sheet, pat dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a heavy 5-6 quart Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and bacon. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon is browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove crisp bacon to a plate.
Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil to the pot. In a single layer, add the beef cubes. Brown the meat on all sides. Cook in 2-3 batches until all the beef is cooked. Remove meat to the plate with bacon.
Add carrots and onions, one Tablespoon salt, and two teaspoons of black pepper to the pot. Stir and cook for 10-15 minutes until the onions are lightly browned.
Add garlic. Cook for one minute or until the garlic becomes fragrant
Put the beef, bacon and juices into the pot.
Add the bottle of red wine and beef stock.
Add the tomato paste and thyme and/or bay leaf.
Stir. Bring to a simmer. Place in oven for 1½ hours or until the meat and carrots are tender.
While the stew is cooking, mash 2 Tablespoons of butter together with 3 Tablespoons of flour - one Tablespoon at a time - to form a paste. Saute mushrooms in two Tablespoons butter until browned.
Remove stew from oven. Add butter/flour paste and mushrooms. Stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook, uncovered, on the stovetop for 15 minutes.
Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
Serve with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, boiled potatoes, buttered peas or a green salad. Warm crusty Frech bread is also great to soak up all the stew juices. Ina Garten toasts country or sourdough bread, rubs a garlic clove over the warm toasts, and serves the stew ladled over the bread.
This scrumptious cheesy and melty Quick & Easy Burrito Pie is guaranteed to become one of your family’s favorites. It’s everything I love in quick Mexican casserole dishes. Perfectly seasoned and loaded with ground beef, beans, and cheese. You can’t go wrong.
I used 10″ burrito-sized flour tortillas and a 10″ springform pan to build the pie. And you can make it vegetarian by omitting the ground beef and adding black and pinto beans. Or use ground turkey for a healthier meat option.
Serve in pie slices topped with guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, diced onion, sliced jalapenos and/or salsa. Maybe some sliced black olives and sliced green onions? How about some crumbled queso fresco? You know, all the yummy things you’d put on top of a burrito or taco.
Let’s make a burrito pie! Your people will love you. Guaranteed!?
Heat a 10-12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add one Tablespoon olive oil and the ground meat. Brown the meat and drain off fat. Return the meat to the skillet. Add chopped onion and saute until just wilted. Add one thinly sliced (slivered) or diced jalapeno pepper. You can substitute diced green or red bell pepper to make the dish less spicy. Add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic. Continue to saute just until the garlic becomes fragrant – 1 minute or so.
Add one can of petite diced tomatoes liquid and all and one package taco seasoning. Stir and simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened – 2-3 minutes. (I added one corn tortilla sliced into slivers to help thicken things up, but you don’t have to.)
Add one can of drained and rinsed beans – any beans you like – pinto, black, light red kidney beans. (If you’re going vegetarian, I’d use two cans of beans and skip the meat.) Stir and continue to heat through. Remove the meat mixture from the heat and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together one can cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the cheeses. I like using half shredded Mexican quesadilla cheese or Monterey Jack and half shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Let’s put our burrito pie together! Shall we?
I used a 10″ springform pan and 10″ burrito-sized flour tortillas. The springform pan makes for easy assembly and serving once the pie is baked.
If you don’t have a springform pan, you can use a high-sided souffle dish or a 10″ pie pan.
Spray the bottom and sides of the pan with vegetable spray. Place a tortilla on the bottom. Top with 1/4 of the mushroom soup/sour cream mixture. Top that with 1/4 of the meat/bean mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the shredded cheese.
Repeat the layers three more times finishing with soup, meat, and cheese.
Place the springform pan on a baking sheet. I line my baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Bake your burrito pie in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until the pie is hot and heated through. Remove pie from the oven onto a cooling rack.
Let it sit for 10 minutes to make it easier to slice.
And there you have it!
Cut into pie-shaped wedges and serve with the toppings you choose.
Once cooled to room temperature, your pie can be frozen then thawed and reheated.
I can’t wait to dig in!
Hot, melty, cheesy, and scrumptious Quick & Easy Burrito Pie. Serve with toppings like guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, diced onion, sliced jalapenos and/or salsa.
Author: Mimi
Recipe type: Main Dish, Quick Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
4 - 10" burrito-sized flour tortillas
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1lb ground beef or turkey
½ - 1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, slivered or diced (May substitute diced green or red bell pepper.)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 15½ oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning
1 - 15½ oz can pinto, black or light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup sour cream
3 cups total Mexican quesadilla cheese and sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a 10-12" skillet over medium-high heat add olive oil and ground meat. Brown and drain. Return meat to skillet.
Over medium heat, add onion, Cook until just wilted. Add peppers and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant - 1-2 minutes.
Add undrained canned tomatoes and taco seasoning. Stir and simmer until slightly thickened.
Add drained and rinsed beans. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes until mixture is thickened and heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine shredded cheeses. Set aside.
Spray a 10" springform pan with cooking spray.
Line the bottom with one tortilla. Top the tortilla with ¼ soup/sour cream mixture. Top that with ¼ meat/bean mixture. Top that with ¼ shredded cheese.
Repeat layers three times ending with shredded cheese.
Place springform pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the pie is bubbling and heated through.
Remove from oven onto a cooling rack and let sit for 10 minutes.
Remove the outer collar of the pan and cut into pie-shaped wedges.
Serve with any variety of toppings: guacamole, sour cream, extra shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos or salsa, sliced black olives or green onions.
Notes
Feel free to make your burrito pie vegetarian by omitting the meat and adding another can of drained and rinsed beans. The springform pan makes this easy to assemble and to serve, but you could use a straight-sided souffle dish or a 10" pie pan.
Ultimate comfort food. Perfect fall/winter dish. Kitchen Sink Chili Mac is chocked full of healthy comfort food ingredients. This is a phenomenal recipe for the end of the season vegetables like corn, tomatoes, and peppers. Many of the ingredients are most likely already in your pantry/refrigerator/garden. Don’t be afraid to include different ingredients you have on hand. This would be equally delicious with fresh mushrooms, hot or sweet peppers, or carrots and celery. Prefer ground turkey? Have at it. Ground bison? Why not. Feel free to improvise. There are no hard and fast rules for this stove-top casserole. And it’s quick – 30 to 40 minutes tops.
I add canned pinto beans, well rinsed and drained to remove sodium. Welcome is the added protein and fiber.
Essentially, you could stop at this step without adding macaroni. Ladle into bowls. You might want to include cornbread as a side. Or you could add cooked pasta AND serve cornbread – I mean, this is cold weather comfort food. Or serve in deep bowls over quinoa or cooked brown rice.
Like your chili mac spicy? Add diced jalapenos and serve with hot sauce. Like a milder version? Substitute diced sweet red bell peppers. And what is it about a dish with corn and tomatoes in a one-pot meal? I love the fresh vegetable flavors. Corn adds a nice crunch, too.
I under-cook the pasta for 60-90 seconds. I find that pasta quickly absorbs liquid in the skillet and changes the consistency of my chili mac. Instead of being soupy, it’s more like a stove-top casserole. That’s okay. If you’d like a more mushy pasta, cook it according to the directions for the full cooking time. This is large elbow macaroni from Trader Joe’s. I absolutely love it. Look at the groves in the noodles. Just right to capture flavorful liquid, meat and veggies.
I can’t wait for another steamy, delicious bowlful. Can you?
Let’s make a potful.
Ultimate comfort food. Perfect fall/winter dish. Kitchen Sink Chili Mac is chocked full of healthy comfort food ingredients. This is a phenomenal recipe for the end of the season vegetables like corn, tomatoes, and peppers. Many of the ingredients are most likely already in your pantry/refrigerator/garden. Don't be afraid to include different ingredients you have on hand.
Author: Mimi
Recipe type: Main Dishes, Casseroles
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (85/15), or turkey, or bison
¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, diced or put through a garlic press ( Hint: get a garlic press)
1-2 jalapenos, diced, membrane, and seeds removed for a less spicy dish OR 1 large red bell pepper diced for a milder dish
15 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 pound fresh Roma tomatoes or other fresh tomatoes, diced OR 1-15oz cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 cup fresh corn cut from the cob or 1 cup frozen corn
½ - 1 cup beef or chicken stock, or water
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Pinch ground cayenne pepper, if desired
1 cup macaroni, cooked according to manufacturers' directions
Instructions
In a 3-4 quart pan, boil water. Add 1 cup of macaroni or the pasta you prefer. Cook according to package directions. For a firmer pasta, under-cook 60-90 seconds.
Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.
Add one pound of ground meat: beef, turkey, or bison, and browned until all the pinkness is gone. Remove the meat to drain on a plate covered with a paper toweling or in a fine meshed colander in the sink.
Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 Tablsepoons olive oil, onion and cook until just wilted, 2-3 minutes.
Add peppers to the onions. Either finely diced jalapenos or one diced red bell pepper. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add chili powder and cumin.
Add garlic. Stir and cook until just fragrant.
Add the cooked meat.
Add tomatoes, beans, stock and corn.
Add 1 teaspoonful salt and ½ teaspoonful black pepper.
Simmer until bubbly.
Add macaroni. Stir and continue to cook until the ingredients are heated through.
Check for seasoning.
Divide into deep individual serving bowls. Top with grated Monterrey Jack cheese and serve.
Notes
Kitchen Sink Chili Mac is easy and comes together quickly. You may add diced carrot and/or celery to the vegetables as they saute. Feel free to substitute diced portobello mushrooms for the meat. Instead of pasta, you can serve chili mac over cooked quinoa or brown rice.
