When two of the best comfort foods on earth love each other very much, the result is this spicy, funky, cheesy, one-pot dinner. (Thank you to my husband for the inspired idea.) Mapo tofu–ifying the meaty base for Midwestern chili mac—as the name suggests, a cozy blend of chili and elbow macaroni—adds tons of savory heat. Melted cheddar provides a velvety texture, and the finishing touches (sour cream and even more cheese) are nonnegotiable.
Mapo tofu’s tingly heat comes from ground Sichuan peppercorns and doubanjiang, a fermented chili bean paste sometimes labeled “toban-djan” or just “douban.” Look for a darker colored product with the age on the label (like our favorite three-year-aged doubanjiang, available from Fly By Jing and the Mala Market). If your doubanjiang is lighter or redder in color and tastes fresh rather than fermented, you may need to use a bit more—up to ½ cup—to nail the spice levels in this recipe.
Sichuan peppercorns are worth seeking out; nothing comes close to approximating their floral spice and tingly heat. To use in this recipe (or any mapo tofu recipe), grind the whole peppercorns in a spice mill, with a mortar and pestle, or (my personal favorite) in a high-powered blender. Some of the coarser husk pieces will not break down to a fine powder but that’s okay—include them with the ground stuff when measuring amounts to get the full, lip-buzzing effect.