American · main

Chili Mac Skillet with Melted Cheddar

Chili Mac Skillet with Melted Cheddar reads umami 4.8, allium 4.6 and salinity 3.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 35 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.1 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.4 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.7 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 4.8 · Allium 4.6 · Salinity 3.7 · Richness 3.5 · Sweetness 2.5 · Sourness 2.3 · Heat 2.3 · Earthy 2.2 · Fruity 2.1 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1 · Floral 0.8 · Nutty 0.6 · Citrus 0.6

What's in it (14)

• extra-lean ground beef — 454 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• green bell pepper — 100 g
• garlic — 9 g
• chili powder — 30 g
• tomato paste — 15 g
• cumin — 5 g
• tomatoes — 794 g
• low-sodium beef broth — 592 g
• macaroni — 227 g
• red kidney beans — 425 g
• salt — 6 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• shredded sharp process cheese — 170 g

Time & effort: about 35 min (30 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 135.9 kcal, 9.2 g protein, 3.4 g fat, 17.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Heat a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink and starting to brown at the edges, 6-7 minutes; drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat.
2. Add the onion and bell pepper to the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent and the pepper softens, 5-6 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, tomato paste, and cumin; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly, about 1 minute.
4. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with your spoon.
5. Stir in the macaroni, kidney beans, salt, and black pepper. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a full boil, about 3 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring every few minutes so the pasta doesn't stick, until the macaroni is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 12-14 minutes.
7. Remove the skillet from the heat and taste; add more salt if needed.
8. Scatter the cheddar evenly over the top, cover again, and let stand off the heat until the cheese is fully melted, 3-4 minutes.
9. Uncover and serve directly from the skillet while the cheese is still pulling into strands.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Beef Enchiladas with Chili Gravy — Tex-Mex
• Curried Ground Beef with Peas — Indian
• Sierra Leonean Jollof Rice — Sierra Leonean
• Ojja Merguez — Tunisian
• Ground Turkey Enchilada Casserole — Tex-Mex

Keep reading: what umami, allium, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.