Chili Mac and Cheese Soup

There is that chill in the air that I love so. I know so many of you hate the cold weather but I truly love it. My chunky sweaters come out of the cedar chest, the thick socks are all moved to the front of the drawer and the warm boots come down from the attic bins. Now that I don't have to wear dress clothes to work anymore I happily put on jeans and a sweatshirt for work. I'm so warm and comfy all day.

I love making hearty belly warming foods too. I make my fair share of chili and soups during the fall and winter so I decided to try my hand at combining the two and making my own version of Chili Mac and Cheese soup. It's super easy to make too, so you can easily throw this together on a week night.

My guys all love chili. I make a big ole pot of it and they devour it over the course of a few days. This soup didn't make it past a day.

• Chili Mac & Cheese Soup
• recipe from Lisa@ The Cutting Edge of Ordinary
• PRINTABLE RECIPE
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained
• 1 quarts chicken broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 pound pasta, cooked al dente and drained
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add  the onion and cook until translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for a minute longer.  Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, chili powder and cumin and salt & pepper. Bring to a low boil and then simmer. Once the soup is simmering, shut it off, and remove it from the heat. Stir in the pasta. Let it stand about 15 minutes then add in the cheese.

Remove from heat. Top with cheese and cover until melted, about 2 minutes.