Chili Mac and Cheese

Chili Mac and Cheese – incredibly delicious quick and easy meal featuring two of your favorite comfort foods Chili and Mac and Cheese. Cheesy, beefy, filling, scrumptious dinner ready in just 30 minutes – all made in one pot!

Hearty and over-the-top delicious dinner in just 30 minutes?! Count me in! Every home cook needs this kind of dish, especially on busy weeknights. And the best part? Everything happens in ONE POT; so that means lesser clean up which is a major win!

Today’s recipe is a cross between our favorite hearty Chili and the ever popular Mac and Cheese. Our sauce is packed with everything you want in a Chili – beans, ground beef, rich tomato-based sauce seasoned with chili powder, of course, and a handful of other spices and seasonings. Top that off with the cheesy goodness from Mac and Cheese and you’ll have one scrumptious and satisfying meal that you can easily add to your weekly menu.

So dang GOOD!

What’s the Difference Between American Goulash and Chili Mac?

Ahh. Good thing you asked! Although both Goulash (recipe HERE) and Chili Mac recipes are one pot meals that feature ground beef, elbow macaroni and a tomato-based sauce, the latter has somewhat more to offer. Chili Mac and Cheese includes beans (I use both red and white kidney beans) and chili powder which is a spice blend of dried chilis and other spices like cumin, onion and garlic powder.

One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese Ingredients

There’s nothing unusual in my chili mac recipe here. You probably have everything sitting in your pantry already. But if you don’t have all of them yet, you can easily find them at the grocery store. Below are the ingredients that I use for my one pot chili mac recipe:

Cooking Oil – any cooking oil would do, but I usually use olive oil when browning meat.

Ground Beef’ –  I use extra lean ground beef for this recipe. But if you’re using fatter ground beef, drain whatever fat there is. You may also use ground chicken, pork, and turkey meat.

Onion and Garlic – Fresh garlic and onions would yield better flavors and an exceptional fragrance.

White and Red Kidney Beans – To make this dish quick and easy for busy home cooks and extra heartier (good enough to feed a family of 5), I decided to use canned white and red kidney beans, both drained and rinsed. 

Tomatoes – I use both canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to add acidity and more depth in flavor in this dish. 

Chicken Broth – Always go with the low-sodium chicken broth so you can easily adjust the salt in this recipe.

Elbow Pasta – You don’t need to cook your pasta ahead as it will be cooked in the same pot with the chili. Furthermore, you may also replace this with any type of pasta especially those that can hold the sauce well.

Cheese –  I use cheddar cheese but you may replace it with any sharp cheese. You may also use a blend of cheddar and mozzarella.

Chili Powder – This recipe won’t be what it is without Chili Powder – a popular spice blend especially in the Tex-Mex cuisine. Chili powder is a spice blend that differs from other kinds of spices and is not just pure dried chili.

What’s the Best Cheese for Chili Mac?

I simply prefer cheddar cheese for this recipe. But feel free to replace it with a blend of cheddar and mozzarella. Provolone also makes a good candidate for this recipe just like in our Sloppy Joes recipe.

How to Store Chili Mac and Cheese?

Our recipe for today makes quite a big batch of comfort food. So just in case of leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

As for freezing them, freeze leftover chili mac and cheese in an airtight container for about 2 months. Thaw and reheat – it is best reheated in microwave. Chili mac and cheese can also be made ahead of time by taking it off the stove when the pasta is still firm to touch. It should still be saucy. Allow it to cool at room temperature, then top with cheese. Put in an airtight container then freeze for about 2 months.

More Hearty and Easy One Pot Recipes

• One Pot Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice
• Easy Cassoulet
• One Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice
• Beef Barley Soup
• Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
• Chicken and Rice Soup

How to Make Chili Mac and Cheese

Add oil in a large dutch oven , place over  medium high heat. Add ground beef, break beef apart  with a wooden spatula , stir frequently  until beef  has been cooked through or brown and crispy , if possible . Drain excess oil if any. To avoid draining fat use lean or extra-lean ground beef. 

 Stir in onions , thyme and garlic continue cooking  for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the onion wilted.

Add diced tomatoes , kidney beans, white  beans, tomato sauce, and elbow pasta. Followed by all the spices ; , ground cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, ground oregano, chili powder , chicken broth , salt and pepper to taste .

Stir everything to fully combine  , bring to a boil. Lower  heat to simmer, cover the pot and continue cooking  for about 10  to 12 minutes or until the elbow macaroni is cooked. Start checking after 10 minutes 

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Once macaroni has been cooked , stir in  shredded cheese and mix to fully combine. You may reserve half of the cheese to sprinkle  on top of the dish. Place in  heated oven and broil for about a minute or two or until slightly brown or  cover  pot for about 1 minute just until the cheese melts. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve slightly cool.

5 from 2 votes

Print

One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

 

Chili Mac and Cheese - incredibly delicious quick and easy meal featuring two of your favorite comfort food Chili and Mac and Cheese. Cheesy, beefy, filling, scrumptious dinner ready in just 30 minutes - all made in one pot!

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chili mac, chili mac and cheese

Servings: 5 - 6 cups

Calories: 538 kcal

Author: Imma

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons (14-28 ml) cooking oil 
• 1 pound (453.59 g) lean ground beef
• 1 large  onion , diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) minced garlic 
• 1 cup (177 g) canned white kidney beans , drained and rinsed
• 1 cup (177 g) canned red kidney beans , drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 4 cups (1 L) chicken broth
• 1 ½ cup (150 g) elbow pasta , uncooked
• 1 ½ tablespoon (12 g) chili powder
• 2 teaspoons (6 g) ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons (2 g) ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
• 1- 2 cups (113- 226g) shredded  cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons (8 g) roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Add oil in a large dutch oven , place over  medium high heat.  Add ground beef, break beef apart  with a wooden spatula , stir frequently  until beef  has been cooked through or brown and crispy , if possible .  Drain excess oil if any.  To avoid draining fat use lean or extra-lean ground beef. 

    

2. Stir in onions , thyme and garlic continue cooking  for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the onion wilted and aromatic.

3. Add diced tomatoes , kidney beans, white  beans, tomato sauce, and elbow pasta. Followed by all the spices ; , ground cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, ground oregano, chili powder , chicken broth , salt and pepper to taste .

4. Stir everything to fully combine  , bring to a boil. Lower  heat to simmer, cover the pot and continue cooking  for about 10  to 12 minutes or until the elbow macaroni is cooked. Start checking after 10 minutes  

5. Once macaroni has been cooked , stir in  shredded cheese and mix to fully combine. You may reserve half of the cheese to sprinkle  on top of the dish.  Place in  heated oven and broil for about a minute or two or until slightly brown or  cover  pot for about 1 minute just until the cheese melts. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve slightly cool.

6. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve.

Recipe Notes

1. Make sure to drain out fat if you are using fatty ground beef for chili mac and cheese.
2. Store chili mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days. Microwave to reheat.
3. Freeze leftover chili mac and cheese in an airtight container in the freezer for about 2 months. Thaw and reheat - it is best reheated in microwave. Chili mac and cheese can be made ahead by taking it off the stove when the pasta is still firm to touch. It should still be saucy. Allow it cool at room temperature , then top with cheese. Put in an airtight container then freeze for about 2 months.
4. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.