Hey There Macaroni Day

On the 7th of July the world celebrates Macaroni Day. Okay, maybe not the entire world or even the whole of America. Regardless, today is National Macaroni Day.

When I was growing up, there were two kinds of macaroni. There was Elbow Macaroni, used to make Mac and Cheese. And there was Salad Macaroni use to make – you guessed it – Macaroni Salad. I had never even tasted Mac and Cheese until I was a teenager. While Mom made Macaroni Salad in the summer as a 4th of July Side, she didn’t make Mac and Cheese. It wasn’t until I started having dinner with friends that I discovered Kraft Mac and Cheese.

Then when I moved out on my own, Hamburger Helper came along. Wow, you could add meat to a box of Mac and Cheese and call it a meal. What a novel concept for a girl that grew up with real meals made with real food and nothing ever came from a box. Canned goods were used as a base for things like spaghetti sauce that simmered on the stove all day. In the summer vegetables came from the garden, and in the winter it was canned.

The closest we ever came to macaroni served hot as kids was when a neighbor brought Goulash to a pot luck. Now I don’t know how other children are when introduced to something new, but we got excited. Foods came into our home from all over the world. When relatives were passing through from Spain, that was my favorite culinary repast. They brought chorizo packed in tins. It was amazing – and not the same as the Chorizo found in the grocery stores or even the Latin Markets. This had a different kind of heat.

Sorry for wandering again. For Macaroni Day I wanted to share a very spicy Coney Island Mac and Cheese. This is not only for the National Day, but also for my niece. She is not a spicy food person, so that’s not the reason. She just graduated from high school. As a graduation gift my sister took both her daughters to New York City. They saw a Broadway play, climbed the Statue of Liberty, went to Coney Island and even had a Coney Island Hot Dog.

Naturally when I came across a recipe for Coney Island Chili Mac and Cheese I thought of family. Hope you enjoy and remember to always count your blesses every day.

Coney Island Chili Mac and Cheese
2 cup Elbow Macaroni
1 Yellow Onion, divided
1 lb Ground Beef
8 oz Tomato Sauce
½ cup Beef Stock
2 tablespoons Chili Powder (less if desired)
1 cup Mild Cheddar Cheese, divided
Sour Cream as desired, optional

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray, set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni until almost tender, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.

White the water comes to a boil and the macaroni cooks; cut onion in half from root to tip. Peel both halves of the onion. Dice one half, cut the other half into slivers.

Scatter onion slivers in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté slivers until well-grilled. Remove and set aside until ready to use.

In the same skillet over medium heat brown ground beef with dice onions until the onions are tender and the meat is no longer ping. Drain off excess grease from the skillet. Add the tomato sauce, beef stock and chili powder to the meat mixture. Stir well to combine; let simmer until sauce thickens and the flavors have melded together; about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cook macaroni and half of the shredded cheese. Mix everything together until nicely coated and the cheese has melted into the chili. Spread macaroni out in the prepared casserole dish.

Sprinkle remaining half-cup of Cheddar Cheese over the top of the Chili Casserole. Scatter grilled onion slivers over the cheese. Place in the heated oven to bake for 20 minutes.

Let the Chili Mac and Cheese rest on the counter a few minutes before serving. Serve with a dollop of sour cream if necessary to bring down the intense heat.

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For He will rescue you from the snare of the fowler,
from the destroying pestilence.
With His pinions, He will cover you,
and under His wings, you shall take refuge.