Army Chili Mac

My husband had me look high and low for this recipe when we first got married. He had fond memories of eating Chili Mac as a private in the 1980's. It has become a family favorite.
Army Chili Mac
Brown 2 pounds ground beef, in a large pot, on medium heat.
**Drain any fat after it is done browning.
Add 1 chopped onion to the beef
**cover with a lid and cook for 3-5 minutes to soften the onion
While meat is browning get the spices ready:
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
**Mix in with the browned and drained beef. Add the following to the mixture.
6 ounces tomato paste
28 ounces diced tomatoes
2 cups hot water
**cook with the lid on for 30 minutes, stirring a few times
When ready to eat, cook one pound of elbow macaroni following the directions on the pasta box. Drain and place back in the pasta pot.
Add 2 Tablespoons butter, mix. Then a bit of the chili liquid to keep the pasta from sticking.
**To serve add macaroni to a bowl, top with hot chili and top with cheddar cheese (raw onion tastes pretty good too)
We are a small family so we eat this recipe in three servings. I freeze what we don't eat for dinner in two containers. Just make fresh macaroni (1/2 pound) for each meal. So easy, and a great meal to have in the freezer.

[@40KoopasWereHere]

Looks tasty and easy!

[@eleishawoodward6706]

This is not Army chili mac

[@whiteshadowfare]

Do you have a recipe I could try?