My busy neighbor dropped this off when I was sick, and it is pure comfort food. Can’t believe it’s just 3 ingredients.

This oven baked 3-ingredients chili mac casserole is exactly the kind of thing neighbors bring when the porch light is off and the house is too quiet. Around here in the rural Midwest, we’ve always believed a warm pan of something cheesy can do as much good as any medicine.

This little casserole is pure comfort food and almost embarrassingly simple: just elbow macaroni, a good hearty beef chili, and a blanket of sharp cheddar. It bakes up bubbly and golden in a disposable foil pan, easy to tote across the road to a sick friend or tuck into the oven on a day when you don’t have the energy for much fuss. It tastes like somebody cares about you, and you wouldn’t guess it came from only three ingredients.

Serve this chili mac casserole piping hot right out of the foil pan, with a simple green salad or some sliced cucumbers and tomatoes if you have them. Warm dinner rolls, cornbread, or even just buttered toast are perfect for soaking up the extra sauce around the edges. A spoonful of sour cream or a few pickled jalapeño slices on top are nice if they’re handy, but it’s plenty satisfying on its own. For a sick day or a cold evening, a mug of hot tea or cocoa alongside makes it feel even more like a hug in a pan.

Oven Baked 3-Ingredients Chili Mac Casserole

Servings: 6

Ingredients
12 oz dry elbow macaroni
4 cups hearty canned or leftover beef chili (with beans or without)
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Directions