Potluck Saturdays: Chili Mac

How many changes must you make to a recipe before it becomes your own?

I got this recipe from The Common Room. And then I did what I can't help but do to a recipe... I tweaked it. I tweaked it a lot. And then I renamed it because "Chili Mac" seemed much more fitting. According to the DHM, this recipe comes from the much recommended More With Less cookbook, but it seems that they have tweaked it a bit too.

So here is my own much-loved version of chili mac, so very much loved that this good-sized recipe doesn't last a day in our house! Big Littles and I each ate 4 bowls of it last time! Preacher Man ate 3! And then I dove into the leftovers a couple hours later. ;)

Chili Mac
1 pound ground beef - browned
1 large diced onion
1 diced bell pepper (or about 1 c. frozen)
2 cloves minced garlic
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (I use 2 pints of home canned)
1/4 c. sour cream or mayo
2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp chili powder*
salt to taste
1 lb. elbow macaroni (or your preferred shape - I like to use whole wheat pasta in this recipe)

(I always have ground beef ready and browned because I buy it in bulk and brown it all at once. If you haven't done this, brown the meat first.) Saute the onions and bell pepper and when they are nearly brown, add the garlic. Stir in tomatoes.
Add sour cream or mayo, W. sauce, chili powder, and salt. Stir. Add pasta. Add enough water to almost cover noodles but not quite - it's less than 2 c. in my experience. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or 'til noodles are tender and water is cooked down.

This simple, fast one pot meal is a staple around here now!

*Now, a note about the chili powder... I am a really big fan of Penzey's spices. They are not paying me for an endorsement, I just love them so much, I wish everyone could experience the amazingness of their high quality, ultra fresh spices. Penzey's chili powder is partly what makes this dish taste so good. If you have a store near you, prepare yourself for a sensory overload. Make sure you check out their cinnamon and curry powder too! Oh and the pasta sprinkle! We really love that stuff!

You can use the coupon code 00002C in the "Express Ordering" section of their online store to get $5 off an order of $10 or more. Offer expires May 29, 20011. I recommend buying the spices in bags to get the best deal.