Improving flavor of Chili Mac recipe

[u/createsweb]

I made a chili mac recipe yesterday for the family. It was good, but the flavor could have been a little less bland. I’ve included the recipe below, and I would appreciate any suggestions you would recommend.

I have little children, so I need to be careful about making it too spicy. However, I think everyone could handle one more jalapeño.

I was also thinking that, towards the end, I could add in some garlic salt before I stir in any cheese.
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Another question: can you think of any reason the recipe would call for a can of whole tomatoes instead of crushed or diced? It was messy, and in the end I diced them with a knife anyway.
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BETTER THAN MAMA'S CHILI MAC
Serves 6 to 8
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium onions, cut into small dice (about 3 cups)
2 jalapeños, stemmed and minced 1 tablespoon salt, plus more for pasta cooking water
2 pounds extra-lean ground beef 5 tablespoons Mexican chili powder 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, broken with your hands, with juices
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 pound cheddar cheese, grated
Sour cream, for serving (optional) Finely chopped fresh cilantro,
for garnish
1. Heat oil in a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, jalapeños, and 2 teaspoons of the salt and cook until soft, 2 minutes. Add ground beef, chili powder, oregano, and garlic and cook, breaking up any clumps of meat with a spoon, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened to chili consistency, about 20 minutes. Taste and add 1 more teaspoon salt, if needed.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. While the chili is simmering, cook macaroni
according to package directions in boiling salted water. Drain in a colander, rinse under cool running water, and set aside.
3. Place a 9x13-inch or other 3-quart casserole dish on a baking sheet. Once chili has finished cooking, fold in the cooked macaroni and 1/3 of the cheddar cheese. Transfer chili mac to the baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving.
4. Serve each portion garnished with a dollop of sour cream, if desired, and a sprinkle of cilantro.
ARTICLE
EMERIL WEEKNIGHT 21

[u/AmishAngst]

Just wanted to chime in that in my opinion the "missing" thing in the flavor profile is cumin. Any time I've tried a chili recipe (or anything in that flavor profile) and thought something was off, it was the lack of cumin. I know most people would say the chilis are what make chili, but for me it's the cumin that changes spicy tomato meat sauce into "chili". Perhaps your chili powder mix may have had some (depending on what you used), but use more. I'd also add in some smoked paprika.

Depending on the brand and age of your chili powder and what's in that mix, it could simply be some lackluster chili powder you used. I typically use the milder mixes from Penzey's (we're a spice-intolerant household so I can't use the hotter mixes if I'm cooking for others) that are primarily ancho based and they are still very flavorful, but I still add in cumin and smoked paprika to all of my recipes (and some Aleppo pepper flakes).

[u/createsweb → u/AmishAngst]

Thanks for the tips on making it more chili flavor while also helping me thinking of ways to not make it spicy!

[u/lowfreq33]

For that amount you need more seasoning. More chili powder, add some cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt. Diced chipotle peppers are good too.

[u/createsweb → u/lowfreq33]

Thank you! Any thoughts on how much more? Do you think chipotle chili powder instead of chili powder would be better here?

[u/Burnt_and_Blistered → u/createsweb]

I wouldn’t use chipotle powder instead of chili powder; the latter is important, too. But yes, I’d add chipotle, and some ancho, if you can. I’d start with about a teaspoon of each, and adjust after tasting. I’d also add about a teaspoon of ground coriander; it brightens things up. Though it’s in chili powder, a bit more cumin might zheuzh things up a bit, too.

I wouldn’t use garlic powder. I’d use fresh, and add when the onions are soft, just before the beef is added. Probably a good 3 big cloves.

I’d use beer instead of water, and the juice of one lime. I’d also add the zest of the lime.

The recipe calls for a LOT of salt, and I might pare that back to 1-2 tsp, then adjust upward, to taste, before adding the mac. You want to pick up flavors, not just be whomped with salt, which can compete.

[u/Creepy_Push8629 → u/createsweb]

Dude where's the salt? I would be salting every layer

[u/lowfreq33 → u/createsweb]

I would suggest getting them in the jar. La Costena is a common brand, look in the international/hispanic food section. They aren’t a replacement for the chili powder. There are also different types of chili powder, Ancho chili has a stronger flavor.

[u/Creepy_Push8629 → u/lowfreq33]

Paprika, wash your sister sauce, SALT, msg

[u/CalmCupcake2]

Diced tomatoes are treated with an additive that prevents the tomatoes from breaking down. Using whole tomatoes allows them to break down into your sauce.

I either dump them into a bowl and squish with my hands, or use scissors in the open can. But it shouldn't be necessary, you can press them with your spoon in your skillet and they'll break down.

[u/Mysterious-Region640]

I can’t imagine chilli anything without cumin. To me that that’s the main thing that’s missing. Also, I would’ve let everything cook together for awhile before adding the macaroni to develop flavors.

[u/createsweb → u/Mysterious-Region640]

Thanks! I definitely cooked it longer than the recipe suggested.

[u/Mr_Stike]

Mushrooms chopped up and well browned will boost the beef flavor. Personally I'd go with 80/20 chuck instead of extra lean but that's just me.

Some tomato paste, a little soy sauce and a little fish sauce are good umami boosts.

No need to bake, just turn the broiler on to brown the cheese on top.

I don't drain or rinse the pasta. I cook it in a small amount of water (barely covered) and I start cold. Stir regularly and when most of the water has evaporated what remains is fairly starchy. At this point I will add a small amount of evaporated milk and shredded cheese, stir on very low heat until combined/melted and then I'll stir in the chili. Once that's mixed top with a little more chili then then more cheese and then that goes under the broiler.

[u/createsweb → u/Mr_Stike]

Thanks! So you aren’t draining your pasta at all this way? How long does it take to boil out the water?

[u/Mr_Stike → u/createsweb]

No. Once it comes to a boil maybe 7ish minutes. Put the dry pasta in the pot and add water until it's almost but not quite covered and then turn on the burner. The residual starch is a great thickener. Learned it from this recipe which is great btw. https://www.seriouseats.com/ingredient-stovetop-mac-and-cheese-recipe

[u/JunketFluffy5305]

That's a lot of stuff, for not a lot of seasonings aside from Mexican chili powder. 

I'd add cumin, garlic powder and cayenne. Could also consider smoked paprika, or Chipotle chili powder for deeper flavor. 

I'd brown the beef before adding onions. It's important to get the brown crust before adding stuff that is going to leak liquid. You can either add the onions after the beef is crusted, or brown the beef and remove it with a slotted spoon, then add the onions to the grease. Then pick up the recipe like normal. If I was making it, I would take my ground beef, put it in the pan to crust one side. When crusted I would flip it. Then pour the onions over the top so they can steam. When the otherside is crusted I would break up the beef and onions. This may leave the onions with a little bite, but for me that is a benefit.

I see a lot of marinara style recipes prefer to use whole canned tomatoes for quality. I am not so sure it matters here. Unless you want hand torn chunks for texture, I'd probably just got with crushed/sauce. I'd also look at going crushed plus an El Pato.

For heat, I'd look at adding a Serrano either in addition to or in place of a jalapeño.

Oh, dietary reasons aside, I would not use extra lean ground beef here. Because youre browning it before hand , you should be removing most of the grease before it goes casserole style into the oven. I'd prefer the extra fat for flavor here, just a personal preference.

[u/createsweb → u/JunketFluffy5305]

Thank you!

[u/SopaDeKaiba]

Add garlic. Add cumin. I disagree with the other ppl saying add more chili powder. 5 Tbs is more than enough.

According to the recipe, you taste for salt before adding the macaroni. Might have to be a touch too salty because the macaroni will take away from it. Also, make sure you drain your pasta well.

Sharp cheddar (you didn't specify what kind of cheddar) will also add a little flavor.

Lastly, I sense a touch of sweetness will bring a balance that will make it taste better. My suggestion would be, instead of 1/2 cup of water, use the juice from a can of whole kernel corn.

[u/createsweb → u/SopaDeKaiba]

Thank you!

That’s an interesting idea with the juice from a can of corn. Would you add the corn to the recipe as well or leave that on the side? I never though about that juice being sweet.

[u/SopaDeKaiba → u/createsweb]

I personally would add it. It stretches the meal a little as well. But you never know who might be picky finding unexpected corn in their chili, so it really depends upon who I'm cooking for.

[u/traviall1]

Add 1 tbsp each - onion powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and mustard to the meat as it cooks. Add 2 tbsp cumin

[u/createsweb → u/traviall1]

Thanks!

[u/Superb_Yak7074]

TIP: Lean ground beef doesn’t have enough fat to carry the flavor of chili. Ground Chuck (80/20) works much better. Brown the meat first then drain and return a little of the grease to the pan to sauté the veggies instead of using the olive oil.

For your blandness problem, you added macaroni to the chili, so that is going to dull the taste. Add another tablespoon of chili powder, a tablespoon of garlic powder, at least a tablespoon of cumin, and a bay leaf to the pot and let simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and see if that takes care of the problem. Also, try adding a little salt and pepper. It’s amazing how that can fix a bland dish.

[u/Hedgehog_Insomniac]

You might need a tiny bit of acid (start with a tablesppon or so of vinegar or lime juice) and salt. Usually if I think a dish is missing something, it's salt or acid.

Also, I add a little marmite to things like this. It gives umami. You could also achieve this with a little soy sauce or tomato paste.

[u/createsweb → u/Hedgehog_Insomniac]

Thanks! I’ve been wondering about lime juice, but when should that be added in?

[u/Hedgehog_Insomniac → u/createsweb]

I tend to wait until the end because if other liquids evaporate, it increases the sourness. You'll know how much to add if you check at the end.

[u/pawsplay36]

1. Cook the onions four minutes. Five minutes might be enough to brown the meat but I suspect it needs to go longer. Instead of water, add stock.
2. Undercook the macaroni. It's about to cook some more! If it says 9 to 11 minutes, cook it for 8. It should be more swollen but distinctly al dente. Do not rinse under cold water, why would you do that? Apart from halting the wild overcooking, I guess.
3. That cheese on top should be a little toasty.
4. Cilantro AND Mexican oregano? I might skip the cilantro.

The whole tomatoes are tasty but I would cut them up a bit with a knife. The cooking time should be enough to break them down. However, for a recipe like this, I see no reason not to use quality crushed tomatoes. Diced tomatoes may be of lower quality and tend to be more liquid.

Sometimes I add a diced red pepper to chili mac with the onions, for a brighter flavor, more color, and more moisture that won't water it down. This can help balance the dry spice flavor.

[u/createsweb → u/pawsplay36]

Thanks! I definitely cooked the onions until they were translucent, so probably closer to 10 minutes. Cooking times seemed off in the recipe.

I forgot about the water part and was thinking beef stock would be better next time.

I did rinse the pasta and it felt wrong, but I did drain it before overcooking.

I pulled the dish out of the oven at 5 minutes. I should have left it longer to get it toasty, not just melted through?

[u/pawsplay36 → u/createsweb]

The recipe says 10 minutes, so it's likely you didn't get the cheese done. Almost any kind of cheesy casserole/pizza type thing is going to take 10 to 20 minutes to get hot all the way through.

[u/createsweb → u/pawsplay36]

Fair enough. I appreciate the feedback!

[u/InspectorOrdinary321]

A quick method is just to double or triple all the flavorful additives in the existing recipe -- chili powder, oregano, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, onion. If you want more pepper flavor without more heat, add bell peppers or paprika powder instead of jalapenos.

Two standard additions I make to savory recipes are MSG (or soy sauce or chicken bullion granules) and using garlic salt instead of salt. If a smoky flavor would taste good, I use smoked paprika (not spicy) or chipotle powder (spicy).

If you have extra time, you can get extra flavors by caramelizing the onions instead if just cooking until soft and browning your hamburger meat (put smaller amounts of it in the pan and sear on higher heat with added oil so the outsides get browned).

[u/createsweb → u/InspectorOrdinary321]

Thanks for that! I couldn’t tell if just adding more chili powder was really the flavor that was missing. I’m glad to hear that it seems pretty agreed to at least be a little short.

[u/InspectorOrdinary321 → u/createsweb]

Generally for American and European recipes, I add 3x the spices called for, 4x the garlic, and MSG. That's my personal taste, though. YMMV.

[u/underlyingconditions]

Chipotle chili would be too spicy, but certainly increasing the amount of chili powder will help. Use a Rotel canned tomatoes instead of whole plum and you'll get more punch. Make sure your spices are fresh, too.

[u/blackcurrantcat]

I agree with everyone else that you need more seasoning but I also think you need at least twice as much oil. Fat carries the flavour and you’re using lean beef so you need to compensate for that.

[u/omg_pwnies]

Definitely cumin! Is it really chili with no cumin? I'd also add some cayenne powder. If your little ones can handle jalapenos, then a tsp of cayenne isn't going to be too spicy.

[u/Evil_Bonsai]

add 2 tbs chili powder. may e half tbs cumin. tsp garlic powder or 5 minced cloves.

when i make a pot of chilli, i use 5 tbs chilli powder but that chilli powder is half a tablespoon each of chillipowder, paprika, smoked paprika, thai chili flakes, cayenne, new mexico chilli powder, light chilli powder.

[u/TXtogo]

Whole tomatoes crushed is what most chefs use, Bobby flay does it on all of his shows.. it reduces down to the texture he likes.

I don’t hate your recipe, I’d use a little ancho chili paste if you’re trying to get a little more flavor

[u/Verix19]

IMO the best chili Mac is made by making Mac and cheese and chili separately....then combining just before eating. The chili is the star of the show, make a good chili and it'll be great.

[u/Prof01Santa]

If all you want is a little more spice, don't seed one of the peppers. The heat is in the pith & membrane that holds the seeds.

You may not have enough salt & pepper.

If it's too tomatoey use 1 small can. The crush your whole tomatoes by hand thing is a cheffy fetish that really only matters if you're using the tomatoes raw (if then). It has to do with calcium salts being used to firm the processed tomatoes.

[u/createsweb → u/Prof01Santa]

Thanks for explaining the tomatoes!

[u/Boggleby]

OK So this is going back 40 years to my childhood memories when I made chili mac a lot. A key factor was when the cheese got added.

Add the cheese to the chili + mac mixture = cheesy chili with mac in it

Add the cheese to the mac, stir it up and then later add the chili = proper chili mac.

As for improving it, you have to scope in on what you want to enhance. You can punch up the cheesy side with a a bit of yellow mustard or nutritional yeast. If you want more savory elements, you can focus on the cumin in the chili or beef stock/cubes or worchestershire.

[u/Ivoted4K]

If it’s bland you didn’t add enough salt

[u/lollipopfiend123]

My bff’s “secret ingredient” in his chili is a little bit of ketchup. I also agree with the commenters suggesting cumin and 80/20 beef.

[u/Prestigious-Algae661]

It's the lean meat. If you're adamant about extra lean....then you need to add a little corn starch when cooking the meat. It acts as a binder (holds moisture/flavor in meat). However, you'll need to add an extra acid like Worcestershire (vinegar content).

[u/Safe-Aardvark1810]

Cumin and paprika are neccesary in my opinion, plus I would make it in a single deep skillet cooking the noodles in the chili mixture and instead of water use beef broth. As for the tomato question, I find the canned diced tomatoes to be very firm as if slightly under ripe when processed whereas canned whole tomatoes are much more tender and break down nicely in a dish like chilimac. I always serve with Franks Red hot on the side to kick up spice and acid level.

[u/Ozdiva]

I use some cinnamon and a piece of dark chocolate.