Introducing Creativity To The Alternative Diet: Many of us have segued from traditional dietary lifestyle to alternative dietary lifestyles, i.e. Gluten free, Vegan, Grain free, Real food, etc. What are we discovering?? These recipes are NOT mediocre!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Stovetop Chili Mac

This recipe is from Everyday Food Mag.  Our family LOVES this and it's so easy because I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  It says it serves 4 however I am able to feed the 5 of us with this recipe.  I have made is several time as it reads but the last time I added a can of diced tomatoes, juice and all, for just a bit more of the chili influence and we really liked it that way too.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 3/4 pound rigatoni or other tube-shaped pasta
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced small
  • 1 pound ground beef chuck (85 percent lean)
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
  • 1 small zucchini, diced medium
  • 2 ounces cheddar, grated (3/4 cup)

Directions

  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion is translucent, 3 minutes.
  2. Increase heat to medium-high, add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add corn and zucchini and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice, bring to a simmer, and cook until mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide pasta among four bowls, top with meat sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.

2 comments:

Rachel said...

I have NO idea why my text is in all caps... sorry. :)

Cahill Clan said...

this sounds so yummy! and yeah, love that I have everything on hand, I think!!!! Love even more that when last minute today I need to coe up with lunch for my extended family I knew I could just log in to our blog and find a delicious treasure! Thanks for the menu planning Rachel can't wait to write out the review (and the other 2)!!!!!