Brisket Mac & Cheese Chili

Introduction

If you've ever made chili and felt like something was missing, this is the recipe for you. The addition of macaroni makes it hearty enough to stand up to even the meatiest of meats, but still light enough to pair with anything from grilled chicken to baked salmon. If you're looking for a chili that's hearty enough to stand up to the meatiest of meats, but still light enough to pair with anything from grilled chicken to baked salmon, this recipe is for you. The addition of macaroni makes it more than just a bowl of red—it's a meal!

Brisket Mac & Cheese Chili is a hearty, savory bowl of deliciousness that's sure to keep you warm and satisfied. If you're looking for a meal that's filling enough to carry you through the whole day without feeling too heavy, this recipe will do just that!

2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Olive oil is a good fat that has many health benefits. It’s been shown to help reduce your risk of heart disease and improve blood cholesterol levels, according to Harvard Medical School. The antioxidants in olive oil can also help protect against certain cancers, such as breast cancer, the American Cancer Society says.

3 cloves garlic, minced

• Use garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic.

• Add the garlic at the same time as the onion.

• How much garlic to add depends on your tastes: 1 clove per person or 2 cloves per person, but no more than 3 cloves total!

1 pound ground beef

Ground beef is a good source of zinc, iron and riboflavin. Iron deficiency can lead to fatigue and weakness, while zinc deficiency can cause poor wound healing and delayed growth. Riboflavin helps convert food into energy that your body uses every day.

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

• You can use any brand of tomato soup.

• You can use any type of canned tomato soup.

• If you have fresh tomatoes, you can make your own quick and easy tomato soup!

1/2 cup water

You may be wondering, "Why am I supposed to add water?" Water is good, and you need it. But you can have too much or too little of it. In this case, it's just right.

1 (1.25 ounce) packet chili seasoning mix

Chili seasoning mix is a mix of dried herbs and spices that you can find in the spice aisle of your local grocery store. It’s an easy way to get a lot of flavor into your food. Chili seasoning mix can be used to season meat, vegetables, soup or chili. The one I use contains chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and oregano among other ingredients. You can even make your own! Chili seasoning is great because it adds complex flavor without adding fat or calories like salt would do.

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

There are a lot of varieties of tomatoes available, but for this recipe we recommend using the classic version: diced. Do not substitute other tomato products such as pureed or sauce—they're not the same thing and won't yield the same results!

2 cups dry elbow macaroni

• Cooking Time: 20 minutes

• Equipment: Large pot, cooking spoon

• How to Cook It: Add 2 cups dry elbow macaroni and 2 cups water to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until pasta is tender but not mushy. Drain in a colander and return to the empty pot.

1 (8 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese

• Using a sharp knife, shred the cheddar cheese into bite-sized pieces.

• Use a food processor to shred the cheddar cheese into bite-sized pieces.

• Use a food processor to grate the cheddar cheese into bite-sized pieces

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeno (if using), salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another minute or so or until fragrant.

• Stir in chili powder, oregano and cumin; cook for about 30 seconds more to toast them slightly – be careful not to burn them!

• Stir in tomatoes with their juice along with chicken broth or water; bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes until thickened slightly as desired (you may need more liquid if you like it saucy). Season generously again with salt & pepper if needed before serving hot over macaroni noodles topped with cheese slices/shreds & sour cream if desired -- enjoy!

You can motivate yourself without being mean to yourself.

If you're feeling discouraged and unmotivated, you may have been running on the belief that in order to be motivated, you have to force yourself. But when we're forcing ourselves, we tend to do things with resentment and even anger. If someone else says something that makes us angry or sad, we can still choose how we react—and it's possible for us to react with kindness instead of resentment or anger.

Being kind is an act of self-compassion; being mean isn't. When I'm stressed out from work or life in general, I try not to tell myself “You're doing a bad job” or “You should be able to figure this out by now” because those don't really help me feel better about myself (or my situation). Instead I try saying something like “I'm sorry this is hard for me right now” or “I wish there were another way around this problem so it wouldn't cause me so much stress! Let's see if there's anything else we can try before giving up...”

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I did! It’s easy to make, tastes great and will fill you up. As always, if you try it out please let me know how it turned out in the comments section below and if you have any suggestions on how to improve the recipe, I'd love to hear them! Thank you for reading and happy cooking!