Chili & Cheese Macaroni

Source- Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Somehow I failed to take a picture of this recipe.  In reality I could just post a picture of the goulash that my family makes and really you'd never know the difference.  :)

Ingredients

• table salt
• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked pasta)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (85% lean)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped (used green pepper)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin 
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 12 oz Colby Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups) (used 16oz)

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. 
• Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and add dry macaroni; cook until al dente. 
• Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• Using the same large pot, wipe dry and heat over medium heat. 
• Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until shimmering. 
• Add ground beef and break it up in pieces to brown. 
• Once browned, remove from pot and discard drippings. Set beef aside. 
•  Add remaining oil to the same large pot and return to medium heat until shimmering.
• Add onions, garlic, red pepper, chili powder, and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and begin to brown. 
• Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, reserved 3/4 cup pasta water and beef to the pot. 
• Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until flavors have blended. 
• Stir in the cooked pasta, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking dish and smooth over with a spatula. 
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle the top of the dish with the remaining shredded cheese. 
• Return the dish once again in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese begins to melt and brown. 
• Cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

Review & Changes- As stated above this recipe is really similar to the goulash my family makes.  The only difference is the addition of the chili powder and cumin.  That combination and all that cheese makes this a really good meal.  This recipe makes a lot, so leftovers are really good too.