I grew up eating Tuna Noodle Casserole (made with macaroni, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a can of tuna), Banquet Chicken, TV Dinners, and Hamburger Helper. Such gourmet dishes existed in a constant loop. It was the sort of loop where it was exciting when the fried apples cycled through and even more exciting when the Hamburger Helper Chili Mac came around. Fine dining, indeed.
Needless to say, I took a little break from such meals once I moved out on my own. I'm glad cheap processed food exists (Seriously! I have all of the love for Kraft Mac n Cheese! And Spaghettios!), but I don't need to eat it all of the time. PLEASE AND THANK YOU.
That's the very short explanation for how it came to be that my 10 year-old had no idea what Chili Mac might be. Like, seriously. She heard the words somewhere and they blew her mind. WHY WOULD YOU PUT CHILI ON MACARONI, MOM.
Well, Alexis, because it's actually kind of good when it doesn't come out of a box.
And by "kind of good" I mean that both girls hoovered it as if they had never before been fed anything worth eating. For the first time in months, Mila ate everything she was given instead of launching it all over the kitchen in an elaborate game of "Here You Go, Doggies!" She even ate the pieces that fell into her lap.
Everybody was very happy.
(Vegetarian) Chili Mac
1/2 pound macaroni, prepared according to the instructions on the box
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 package Morningstar Grillers Crumbles
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Shredded cheddar cheese
1. Cook that macaroni. Good job.
2. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the onions and cook until lightly browned.
3. Add the Morningstar Crumbles and heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. (Technically you could use ground beef and everything would still work out dandy. Your choice.)
4. Pour the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beans, chili powder, and garlic in with the onions and "meat." Stir well until it's all heated up.
5. Dump the macaroni in the pan and stir some more.
6. Serve with shredded cheese and saltines.
