Everyone has their go-to crowd pleaser, and for the colder months, this is mine. How could you go wrong with this meal?? Chili ... yum. Pasta ... yum. Cheese ... yum. Put it all together and you have one of our favorite meals!
This recipe has evolved over the years, and I'm not sure that I'm done tweaking it. But as of my last batch that I made, here is what I did:
Ingredients
1 batch of your favorite chili (using 1lb of meat)
2 8oz blocks of extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 8oz blocks of pepper jack cheese
1 box of pasta (penne, ziti, rotini, whatever your heart desires)
4 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 large egg
Salt and pepper
Steps
1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put a big pasta pot on the stove to boil (don't forget to add salt and olive oil to your water).
2) Grate your cheese and mix together in a large bowl.
3) In a separate smaller pot, melt your butter and then mix in your flour until you have a smooth mixture. While on low-ish heat, add in your milk and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
4) Lightly beat your egg and slowly mix it into your milk.
5) Start slowly adding in your cheese a handful or two at a time. I like to use a whisk for this process. Just continue to add cheese until you have a thick creamy sauce.
[Beware ... if you add the cheese in to quickly, it won't melt well and just clump together at the bottom.]
Depending on how cheesy you want your sauce will depend on how much cheese you'll end up using. Scott likes this to be really cheesy, and I always have leftover cheese. (But I'm Italian and always like to have ten times more of any one ingredient than I need. You can always freeze your leftover cheese.)
6) At some point during your cheese sauce making, your pasta water will come to a boil. Just take a quick break from stirring the cheese sauce and toss the pasta into the water. Boil according to the directions.
7) If you finish making your cheese sauce before your pasta is ready, just season it with salt and pepper and put on a simmer until your pasta is ready.
8) Once your pasta is done, drain it and pour into a LARGE mixing bowl (or just use your empty pasta pot, which is what I do). Add in your cheese sauce and mix lightly. Add in your chili and mix thoroughly.
9) Pour into a large roasting pan or au gratin dish. Sprinkle some of your leftover cheese on top and put in the oven for about 20-30 minutes. You know it's done when it starts bubbling around the edges.
I like to serve this with a salad and jiffy cornbread. And if you do have leftovers, it's a great meal to throw in the freezer and re-heat on a busy night when you don't have time to cook a full meal.
This recipe has evolved over the years, and I'm not sure that I'm done tweaking it. But as of my last batch that I made, here is what I did:
Ingredients
1 batch of your favorite chili (using 1lb of meat)
2 8oz blocks of extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 8oz blocks of pepper jack cheese
1 box of pasta (penne, ziti, rotini, whatever your heart desires)
4 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 large egg
Salt and pepper
Steps
1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put a big pasta pot on the stove to boil (don't forget to add salt and olive oil to your water).
2) Grate your cheese and mix together in a large bowl.
3) In a separate smaller pot, melt your butter and then mix in your flour until you have a smooth mixture. While on low-ish heat, add in your milk and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
4) Lightly beat your egg and slowly mix it into your milk.
5) Start slowly adding in your cheese a handful or two at a time. I like to use a whisk for this process. Just continue to add cheese until you have a thick creamy sauce.
[Beware ... if you add the cheese in to quickly, it won't melt well and just clump together at the bottom.]
Depending on how cheesy you want your sauce will depend on how much cheese you'll end up using. Scott likes this to be really cheesy, and I always have leftover cheese. (But I'm Italian and always like to have ten times more of any one ingredient than I need. You can always freeze your leftover cheese.)
6) At some point during your cheese sauce making, your pasta water will come to a boil. Just take a quick break from stirring the cheese sauce and toss the pasta into the water. Boil according to the directions.
7) If you finish making your cheese sauce before your pasta is ready, just season it with salt and pepper and put on a simmer until your pasta is ready.
8) Once your pasta is done, drain it and pour into a LARGE mixing bowl (or just use your empty pasta pot, which is what I do). Add in your cheese sauce and mix lightly. Add in your chili and mix thoroughly.
9) Pour into a large roasting pan or au gratin dish. Sprinkle some of your leftover cheese on top and put in the oven for about 20-30 minutes. You know it's done when it starts bubbling around the edges.
I like to serve this with a salad and jiffy cornbread. And if you do have leftovers, it's a great meal to throw in the freezer and re-heat on a busy night when you don't have time to cook a full meal.
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