One Pot Chili Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 15 oz can black beans
• 15 oz can kidney beans
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup shredded cheese

Directions

1. Cut the onion into dice and mince the garlic. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add both and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the onion looks soft and translucent. Crumble in the ground beef and keep cooking and stirring until no pink remains. If your beef has a lot of fat, drain off the extra once it has browned.
2. Sprinkle in the flour and chili powder, then stir so the beef gets evenly coated. Cook, stirring, for another 1-2 minutes. Some of that flour and spice mixture can cling to the pot; no drama, just watch it so it does not burn.
3. Drain the black beans and kidney beans, then rinse them well. Add the beans to the pot along with the tomato sauce, diced tomato, and corn kernels. Stir thoroughly, scraping the bottom so the flour and chili powder loosen and blend into the sauce.
4. Add the dry macaroni and 2 cups of beef broth, and stir everything together. Cover the pot, raise the heat to high, and bring it to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, stir briefly to free any pasta that has settled onto the bottom, put the lid back on, and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer over medium-low for about 15 minutes, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been taken up. During the 15 minutes, stir 1 or 2 times so the macaroni does not stick underneath.
5. When the pasta is cooked through, shut off the heat and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese melts into the pasta and the sauce turns a little creamy. Serve hot.