Chili Mac

This hearty one dish meal tastes just like your favorite Chili recipe with the addition of cheese and pasta! Chili Mac is the perfect dinner recipe when you need a quick and easy meal. It’s done in about 20 minutes and cooks on the stove top in one pot!

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Craving comfort food? Homemade chili mac is the answer! It combines the best of mac and cheese with a hearty homemade chili for a delicious and filling dinner. My family loves this dinner, especially when it’s cold – it will warm you right up! We make one pot chili mac all the time, it just never gets old.

This recipe is so easy there’s time to add a side dish to go with it – try my air fryer broccoli or roasted vegetables to make it a complete meal. It’s family-friendly too since it’s not spicy — so it’s great for the kiddos. But you can always add a little heat with some red pepper or spice for the grown-ups. It’s easy to adjust! You’re gonna love this recipe.

Why You’ll Love Chili Mac

• Chili mac and cheese is a one-pot dinner! Everything, including the macaroni noodles, cooks together for an easy-to-clean-up meal.
• What I love best is that it only takes about 20 minutes to make so it’s perfect for weeknights.
• The leftovers store really well! You can also make it ahead and freeze it for later, so it’s fantastic for meal prep.

Ingredients for Chili Mac

• Kidney beans – Red beans will work in place of kidney beans if that’s all you have on hand!
• Elbow macaroni – Grab a box of your favorite macaroni noodles to use in this one pot chili mac recipe.
• Diced tomatoes – Use some canned, diced tomatoes to make this chili mac extra hearty.
• Diced onion – Yellow onion and white onion are both perfect for this yummy recipe!
• Olive oil – Sauté the onion with a bit of olive oil or another neutral flavored oil.
• Tomato sauce – You’ll need a whole can of plain tomato sauce to help make the homemade chili.
• Cheddar cheese – For the most gooey and cheese results, shred your own cheese from a block.
• Beef broth – This is all the liquid you need to cook the noodles in the same pot as everything else!
• Ground beef – I recommend using lean ground beef so that your chili macaroni isn’t greasy!
• Brown sugar – A little bit of brown sugar helps to balance out the acidity of the tomato and sweeten the dish just a touch.
• Minced garlic – Freshly minced garlic is the best way to add loads of flavor to chili mac.
• Spices – Use this combination of spices to season this dish perfectly:
  • cumin
  • chili powder
  • salt
  • black pepper

How to Make Chili Mac

Cook the ground beef, diced onion, and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, then add the garlic and then drain off the excess grease.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, brown sugar, seasonings, beef broth, and macaroni to the same pot.

Then bring the pot to a boil and adjust the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes, then uncover the pot and simmer for a few minutes more.

Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top, let it melt, and then serve!

How to Store Leftover Chili Mac

FRIDGE: Store your leftover chili mac in airtight containers in the fridge. It will keep for three to four days. When you reheat it, add a splash of broth if it’s too thick.

FREEZER: Once you’ve made your chili mac, let it cool. Store it in freezer-safe containers for up to two months. Thaw it in the fridge before warming it on the stove or in the microwave.

Can I use different beans in this chili mac recipe?

Red beans are a good similar swap for kidney beans. But if you don’t care about being similar in flavor, you can use black beans or pinto beans. Great northern beans work well too!

What can I add to chili mac?

You can add loads of different things to this chili mac recipe! Diced carrots and sliced mushrooms would be tasty, and so would green peas or corn. Bell peppers and diced zucchini would be great additions too.

Want your chili mac a little spicier? Add some chopped jalapeno or your favorite hot sauce when you simmer the chili. Some green chilies work great in this dish too!

What’s the difference between goulash and chili mac?

While the two are similar, goulash and chili mac are different. American goulash doesn’t typically contain beans and is a bit less tomatoey. Many goulash recipes include a lot of veggies too!

What to Serve with Chili Macaroni

There are a lot of side dishes that go with this dinner! Add a salad – my seven layer salad would go great!

You could also serve with a healthy veggie like cooked asparagus or slow cooker carrots. And a batch of fluffy dinner rolls is always yummy too.

Making chili mac from scratch is so easy you’ll want to make it every week! Stock up on the ingredients so you have them on hand for that next crazy busy weeknight. You will love it!

More One-Pot Dinner Recipes

• Chicken Spaghetti is a Mexican-inspired dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes!
• Skip the boxed stuffed and make Homemade Hamburger Helper! It’s hearty, cheesy, and a family favorite.
• My American-Style Goulash recipe is classic comfort food with beef, pasta, and cheese combined with seasonings. It’s so easy to make!
• Have a pressure cooker? Make Instant Pot Chili Mac! It’s just as good as the stovetop version.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

5 from 21 votes

Chili Mac

Quick and easy, hearty dinner recipe made in one pot on your stove top in about 30 minutes!

Prep:10 minutes mins

Cook:20 minutes mins

Total:30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb ground beef
• ▢ 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 3 clove minced garlic
• ▢ ½ c. finely chopped onion peeled
• ▢ 14 oz petite diced tomatoes
• ▢ 8 oz tomato sauce
• ▢ 16 oz kidney beans rinsed and drained
• ▢ 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• ▢ 1 Tbsp chili powder
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ▢ 3 ½ c. beef broth
• ▢ 2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
• ▢ 1 c. Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• In a large pot or dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and chopped onions to the pot. Cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
• Add in the garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the ground beef is cooked through. Drain off any excess grease and discard.
• Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, beef broth and macaroni. Stir to combine.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover the pot and cook for 12-13 minutes or until pasta is tender. Uncover the pot and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
• Sprinkle cheddar cheese over pasta and let melt. Serve immediately.

Tips

Add Some Heat: Want your chili mac a little spicier? Add some chopped jalapeno or your favorite hot sauce when you simmer the chili.

Ingredient Swaps: Switch the pinto beans for black beans. Cheddar cheese is classic, but you can switch it for Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese. Or do a combination of cheese.

Leftover Tips: Store your leftover chili mac in airtight containers in the fridge. It will keep for three to four days. When you reheat it, add a splash of broth if it’s too thick.

Does chili mac freeze well? Yes, it does! Once you’ve made it let it cool. Store it in freezer-safe containers for up to two months. Thaw it in the fridge before warming it on the stove or in the microwave.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 801kcal (40%), Carbohydrates: 91g (30%), Protein: 44g (88%), Fat: 29g (45%), Saturated Fat: 14g (88%), Cholesterol: 93mg (31%), Sodium: 1512mg (66%), Potassium: 1202mg (34%), Fiber: 11g (46%), Sugar: 12g (13%), Vitamin A: 1096IU (22%), Vitamin C: 12mg (15%), Calcium: 387mg (39%), Iron: 7mg (39%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.