Once upon a time I didn’t know a thing about cooking. Whaaaaaattt??? It’s true. I didn’t. Not only did I not know anything about it, I was in fact 100% awful at it. Now, I know you don’t understand the full magnitude of that statement so I’m going to convince you by telling you that one time when I was tending my sister’s children I actually ruined mac and cheese. The boxed kind. You know? The instant mac and cheese with the packet of fake cheese stuff? Pretty unbelievable, I know. But it happened. Believe it y’all. That earlier version of me fell far from the tree because my mother is a fantastic cook. For some reason it just took me a little longer to get on board and learn a thing or two from her. But she made mac and cheese like a pro. Real mac and cheese. Not the instant boxed stuff. She also made chili like it was nobody’s business. So I grew up with a love of both mac and cheese and chili. It was only a matter of time before the two came together in one fantastic comfort food dish. Just like my mother, I keep my kitchen pantry well-stocked with about a bazillion spices. I’m a bit of a spice addict actually, and a whole section of my spice collection consists of McCormick’s red cap collection. One of my absolute favorites is their chipotle chili pepper. It’s a little bit spicier than regular chili powder and I love that smoky chipotle flavor. If you can get your hands on some I highly recommend using it for this chili mac. If you have regular chili powder that will work too though – the choice is yours! This dish is the perfect mash up of two classic comfort foods and comes together in just 30 minutes – you can’t beat that! We’re ditching traditional macaroni and regular old chili for this amped up super cheesy chili mac. You’ve gotta try it, it’ll be an instant family favorite! This awesome recipe is being sponsored by McCormick – thanks for letting me work with the brands I love to keep this here blog going!
