Rachel Ray's Southwest Chili con Queso Pasta Bake

Rachael Ray's Southwestern Chili Con Queso Pasta Bake

Being responsible for dinner one night, I found this super easy recipe on www.pintrest.com and I can't believe how amazing it turned out! It was so good and we even had leftovers, which are always better the next day! :) I made his whole recipe for $12! So yummy and easy!

1 pound penne rigate (ridged penne)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon ground cumin (1 palmful)
1 tablespoon roasted ground coriander (1 palmful)
2 tablespoons chili powder (2 palmfuls)
Coarse black pepper (for all the spices I just used a taco seasoning packet, much easier and cheaper if you don't have them already on hand)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3-5 garlic chopped (a press would make it easier, but once it's cooked you can't bite into any pieces)
1 jalepeño (I left this out)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (2 palmfuls)
2 cups milk
3/4 pound cheddar cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (a generous handful), chopped
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (a few handfuls) chopped
1 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

Preheat the broiler to high and position the rack 8 inches from the heat.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta until slightly undercooked--a little chewy at the center.

While the water is coming to a boil, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the hamburger. When the hamburger is almost finished, but still a little pink, throw in the garlic, jalepeño, and onions and finish cooking until the burger is browned and the onion is translucent. Drain the grease from the skillet and mix in the cumin, coriander and chili powder. Take off the heat or turn heat down low.

In a medium sauce pot (and you can do this while you're browning the hamburger), melt the butter and add the flour to it. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat and then whisk in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheese, cilantro and parsley with a wooden spoon. When the cheese has melted, stir in the tomatoes.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it back into the large pot. Add the contents of the hamburger and all of the Cheddar sauce, and stir to combine. Transfer to a baking dish, sprinkle with a bit more cheese if you wish, and place under the broiler to lightly brown.

It says it makes 4 servings, but with a salad, can easily feed 6! We even had leftovers! It was another hit in our house! I also think it would do well in a crockpot to take to a potluck. Just add a bit more milk to the cheese mixture so it doesn't get too dried out.