Random Recipe Night

So, I cooked Chili Mac and Cheese last night. Cue the thunder and lightning (and sarcasm). The funny thing is that I am a really good cook, or rather I can follow a recipe like nobody's business, however I rarely have time to practice the craft on a regular basis. My family does not go unfed, as we eat breakfast at home and mostly pack our lunches for school and work rather than purchasing lunch, but somehow the after school and work hours explode into a race against the clock, and thus our family will dine locally, or bring food in, as we have many healthy options in the area. 

Last night's random recipe, Chili Mac and Cheese,  was not so random, as I OFTEN pin recipes from Pinterest that look tasty and easy to make, but I don't cook them as often as I would like.  As a matter of fact I pinned this recipe yesterday morning as I drank my coffee before work.  As the day progressed, I kept thinking about how busy my night would be with kid errands and sports games, that I mentally browsed my cabinets and realized that I actually had all of the ingredients for this recipe in my pantry.  Shocker, because I am not a "prepper", and I do not have stockpiles of supplies in cabinets and freezers.  I am more of a pick up a few fresh things during the week, rather than a person who freezes four months worth of meat.  That's how my grandmother did it, so I guess old habits die hard. 

Back to the recipe. Here's the original pin for Chili Mac and Cheese that I found on Pinterest from the website Damn Delicious. 

And here's my version..

The only thing I changed in the recipe is that I substituted the ground beef with chicken sausage, because that's what I had fresh in the refrigerator, and I used a black bean instead of a white bean, because that 's what I had in the pantry. I didn't have parsley handy, but we did sprinkle the cheese on top of our individual bowls.  

My family usually likes the meals that I cook (when I cook) but everyone LOVED this dish, especially my son who had two helpings. With the winter season being my family's busiest time of year, Random Recipe Night will soon play a major role in our work week.