Beef Chili Pasta with Cheese

Oh boy... Another winner for you! Hearty beef and bean chili, ladled over tender noodles and blanketed with a delicious amount of stretchy cheese. Like pasta Bolognese, beef chili and macaroni and cheese all got together to party. Affordable, crowd-pleasing, kid-friendly, ready in less than 30 minutes, and served in ONE pan!

This meal is like a party in a skillet! So many flavors and textures going on - and everyone is having a great time. The chili is a savory blend of beef, beans, herbs, and spices. I used pantry staple herbs/spices, but you could certainly substitute store-bought taco seasoning if you'd like to skip some steps. And if you use "chili beans" (the seasoned canned beans sold next to the regular beans), flavor is catapulted to new chili heights.

This is a great meal to serve a crowd because adding pasta (and beans for that matter) is an excellent and inexpensive way to add heft and stretch the meal to serve more people. For the pasta, I chose big elbow macaroni, but any small shape works. For the beans, I used black, but any variety works (red kidney, pink, white, pinto, navy, etc.).

Use what you have to make this meal happen. You'll be happy you did.

Beef Chili Pasta with Cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (any bean variety works here)
1 pound pasta of choice
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, or any combination of cheddar, Monterey jack, mozzarella, and pepper jack
Chopped fresh cilantro for serving, optional
Chopped green onions for serving, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as is cooks. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the herbs and spices are fragrant. Add the tomato sauce, broth and beans and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes (or longer if you want; I partially covered my pan and let the chili simmer for about 2 hours!).
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Arrange the pasta in the bottom of a baking dish or ovenproof skillet. Spoon the beef chili over top and top with the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese melts.
Top with cilantro and green onions (if using) and serve.
Serves 4