Chili mac is a dish prepared using

chili con carne Chili con carne (also spelled chilli con carne or chile con carne and shortened to chili or chilli; ), meaning " chili with meat", is a spicy stew containing chili peppers (sometimes in the form of chili powder), meat (usually beef), tomatoes ...

and macaroni as primary ingredients, which is often topped or intermingled with cheese. Some versions are made using prepared or homemade

macaroni and cheese Macaroni and cheese (also called mac and cheese in Canada and the United States and macaroni cheese in the United Kingdom BBC, RecipesMacaroni Cheese/ref>) is a dish of cooked macaroni pasta and a cheese sauce, most commonly Cheddar sauce. The ...

. It is a common dish in the

cuisine of the Midwestern United States Midwestern cuisine is a regional cuisine of the American Midwest. It draws its culinary roots most significantly from the cuisines of Central, Northern and Eastern Europe, and Native North America, and is influenced by regionally and locall ...

, and is also popular in other areas of the United States. Several variations of the dish exist, and prepared canned and boxed versions also exist. It can be a relatively inexpensive dish to prepare, and has been described as a

comfort food Comfort food is food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone, and may be characterized by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate level, or simple preparation. The nostalgia may be specific to an individual, or it may app ...

. Similar dishes include Spaghetti Red, a chili-topped spaghetti popular around Joplin, Missouri, and

Cincinnati chili Cincinnati chili (or Cincinnati-style chili) is a Mediterranean-spiced meat sauce used as a topping for spaghetti or hot dogs ("coneys"); both dishes were developed by immigrant restaurateurs in the 1920s. In 2013, ''Smithsonian'' named one ...

Preparation

Several preparation methods exist. Basic versions may be prepared using chopped meat, tomato, spices, and elbow macaroni. Another basic preparation method incorporates boxed, prepared macaroni and cheese and canned chili. Some recipes incorporate all of the ingredients together, while others are prepared with the ingredients separately layered. Those that use cheese may use grated cheese atop the dish, while others mix the cheese throughout the dish. Sometimes, onions or beans are added. Some diners in St. Louis, Missouri, serve a version called "chili mac a la mode", in which the dish is served topped with fried eggs. The dish may be prepared on a range top in a skillet, in a

slow cooker A slow cooker, also known as a crock-pot (after a trademark owned by Sunbeam Products but sometimes used generically in the English-speaking world), is a countertop electrical cooking appliance used to simmer at a lower temperature than o ...

, or baked as a casserole. Vegetarian and vegan versions of the dish are sometimes prepared.

Versions

Chili mac has been a staple dish at American military dining facilities for years. It was introduced into the

Meal, Ready-to-Eat A Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) is a self-contained, individual field ration in lightweight packaging purchased by the United States Department of Defense for its service members for use in combat or field conditions where other food is not availa ...

(MRE) field ration menu in 1995 and is one of only three of the twelve MRE meals offered in 1995 that has remained on the MRE menu to date. A variation called "taco chili mac" has been consumed by

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

astronauts in space. It is processed by NASA as a

freeze-dried Freeze drying, also known as lyophilization or cryodesiccation, is a low temperature dehydration process that involves freezing the product and lowering pressure, removing the ice by sublimation. This is in contrast to dehydration by most conve ...

product.

Hamburger Helper Hamburger Helper is a packaged food product from Eagle Foods. As boxed, it consists of a dried carbohydrate (often pasta or rice), with powdered seasonings contained in a packet. The consumer is meant to combine the contents of the box with brow ...

sells a boxed version named "Chili Macaroni".

Similar dishes

Spaghetti Red is a chili-topped spaghetti popular around

Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper and Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. Joplin is the largest city located within both Jas ...

is a spiced meat sauce used to top spaghetti which is often referred to as chili spaghetti.

References

External links

Skillet Taco Macaroni

Food.com Food.com is a digital brand and online social networking service featuring recipes from home cooks and celebrity chefs, food news, new and classic shows, and pop culture. Food.com was launched in September 2017 and offers recipe, photo, articles ...

. {{pasta dishes Chili con carne Casserole dishes Ground meat American pasta dishes American meat dishes

Preparation

Versions

Similar dishes

See also

References

External links