Chili Macaroni Cheese

Macaroni cheese is my favorite comfort meal. I especially love that it's one of those delightful dishes that is even better reheated the next day.

I wanted to give my regular old mac and cheese recipe a bit of a make over, of course the first thing that sprang to mind was "add a bit of heat." Red chili, sriracha, and chorizo gave this simple recipe the zing I was after!

If you have a young family, the chili in this as it stands with the measures below just gives a hint of heat, but adds lots of great flavor, I still believe this one to be child friendly, but if you're worried de-seed your chili and add a bit less sriracha.

Chilli Chicken Macaroni 

Serves 4

400 g (14 oz) macaroni elbows
300 g (10.5 oz) cooked and shredded chicken
50 g (2 oz) Chorizo, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp plain flour
2 1/4 Cups skim milk
1 Cup grated Edam cheese (plus extra for sprinkling)
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan
1 Onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 red chili, finely diced
2 Tbsp sriracha sauce
Salt and pepper to season

1. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions.

2. While the pasta is cooking make the cheese sauce. Add half of the oil to a medium saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the chili and chorizo and cook for a further minute. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil along with the butter. Whisk in the flour and gradually whisk in the milk, a little bit at a time to ensure a lump free sauce. Once all of the milk has been added, switch to a wooden spoon and stir constantly until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

4. Stir in the grated cheese and onion mixture. TASTE THE SAUCE and season to taste.

5. Stir through the sriracha sauce and drained cooked pasta. Tip into a heatproof dish, sprinkle over the extra grated cheese and bake at 200°C (400F) for 20 minutes, or until golden.