Chili-Mac

There is no better use for leftover chili than to turn it into a delicious cheesy casserole.  I was intrigued by this recipe as it uses an ingredient I've never touched before- condensed milk.  But, somehow the substance is does the trick for making a creamy macaroni and cheese that pairs perfectly with spicy chili.  I found the recipe on Serious Eats, and we've made it several times now.  You can either make the chili for the purpose of this dish, or use leftovers if you made a huge pot and still have a decent amount left.  Any type of chili will do- and if you need ideas for that you could follow the Serious Eats suggestion, or check out our chili recipe.  The only change I made from their chili-mac is that I used slightly less cheese (which was still plenty).  This is so easy to make, and will definitely be  crowd pleaser.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb elbow macaroni, or other short pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (about 3/4 lb)
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 (12-oz) can condensed milk
• 5-6 cups chili

Directions:
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil, and cook the macaroni for 2 minutes less than directed on the box.  You want the noodles to be a little under-done when they go into the casserole because they will continue to cook in the oven. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Drain the pasta and return to the large pot over low heat.  Add the butter, and when melted, pour in the milk and stir in half of the shredded cheese.  Stir occassionally until the cheese has fully melted.

Pour in the chili, and stir to combine.  Empty the pot into a large casserole dish (or two smaller ones) and sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly on top.  

Bake for 20 minutes, and the broil for 2 minutes or until the top is starting to turn golden brown and bubbly.  Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.