Chili Topped Mac 'n Cheese Casserole

Are you looking for a great way to enjoy two of your favorite meals??  How about chili topped mac n' cheese!!

This chili mac n' cheese is a great way to meal prep in advance - the recipe makes two casserole dishes full of deliciousness!  Eat one right away and tuck the other one in the fridge for another meal or wrap it tightly and freeze it!

When fall arrives, I'm always looking for cozy meal ideas that are warm and cozy.  Chili is definitely one of those!  Over the years, we have found that combining homemade mac n' cheese with almost any leftovers, is the perfect kid-friendly way to use leftovers!  You could do the same here with your leftover chili!   Make up a double batch of the pork chili and use half of it to make these casseroles!  We're talking at least 3 meals for your family!

You'll find the Pork Chili recipe here.

Follow the recipe below to make your mac n' cheese, split it into two casserole dishes, and top with the chili!

Mac N' Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter or bacon grease
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3 to 4 cups grated cheddar
• salt & pepper
• 450-500 grams (1 lb) dry pasta, cooked
• 1 recipe of Lazuli Farms pork chili

Instructions:

Prepare two medium casserole dishes or one extra large casserole dish by greasing the bottom and sides lightly with lard, bacon grease, or oil.

Cook pasta in a medium-large saucepan to desired doneness.  Drain in a colander.  Place saucepan back onto the stovetop on medium heat.  Melt butter in the saucepan.  Sprinkle flour over top.  Stir until smooth.  Slowly add milk a little at a time, stirring well with a whisk or spoon after each addition.  Be careful not to add too much milk at a time as it may get lumpy.  Warm milk mixture until starts to thicken.  Add grated cheese, a little at a time, stirring after each addition.  Cheese will melt.  Continue to stir constantly over low-medium heat until desired thickness.  I prefer it to be a bit runny at this stage as it will thicken up on the pasta when you bake the casserole.

Remove from heat.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Pour pasta into the milk-cheese mixture.  Divide pasta mixture evenly between the two casserole dishes.  Top with the chili mixture (dividing the chili mixture evenly between dishes).

At this point, you can tuck the casserole in the fridge for baking at a later time.  Or cover well with a airtight lid or covering, and freeze casserole.

We like to eat one right away and freeze the second one for another meal later on.

To bake, place foil covered casserole in a preheated oven (350F) and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until bubbly.  Remove the foil and sprinkle the top with additional cheese for the last 5 minutes, if desired.

Enjoy!