Chili Mac is a hearty dinner that your whole family will enjoy. Made with the base of my chili recipe with pasta and cheese mixed in, this recipe is a winner!
My family loves a good chili recipe. It is easy to make, full of rich and delicious flavor, and it fills up those growing bellies so well. In this version, we are adding in pasta and cheese to make a Chili Mac, which honestly is even better than traditional chili.
This delicious dinner comes together in under 35 minutes and will be a huge hit with your whole family. My kiddos love this recipe, and we love how easy it is to throw together.
How to Make Chili Mac
Step 1: Cook the Ground Beef and Vegetables
Add the ground beef to a dutch oven or stock pot. Break it up as it cooks. Once it begins to brown, add in the onion, green bell pepper, and garlic. Season with kosher salt and black pepper and sauté the vegetables until they are tender.
Step 2: Add the Spices
Drain off any excess grease and then season the meat and vegetables with chili powder, cumin, ground chipotle, and cayenne pepper.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and kidney beans, and bring to a roaring boil.
Step 4: Cook the Pasta
We are going to cook the pasta right in the dish to keep this a one pot meal. When it comes to a boil add the dry pasta. Reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, until the macaroni is al dente, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Step 5: Add the Cheese
Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese. For best results in any recipe, shred the cheese from a block using a grater. It will melt better. Taste the chili mac and add more salt and pepper as needed. Top with the remainder of the cheese. Garnish with cilantro and diced onion if desired before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Shred the cheese from a block. It melts and tastes so much better than pre-shredded cheese which is covered in preservatives. I always recommend getting a block of cheese and shredding it yourself with a cheese grater for any recipe that calls for shredded cheese.
- Use a different pasta. I love to use elbow macaroni because I always have it on hand, but any medium-sized pasta such as shells or rotini would work.
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey. Just like in my turkey chili, ground turkey would be delicious in this recipe for chili mac if you want a leaner option.
- Add more or swap the beans. If you don’t love kidney beans, consider using pinto or black beans instead. Be sure to drain and rinse your beans to control the sodium in the recipe.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover chili mac in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave until heated through. You may want to add a splash of water or broth when reheating to help loosen it up. Never reheat leftovers more than once.
What to Serve with Chili Mac
If you make this chili mac and cheese recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave me a comment and let me know.
Chili Mac
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (453.6 grams)
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes undrained (794 grams)
- 15 ounces tomato sauce (425 grams)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke see note
- 15 ounces kidney beans drained and rinsed (425 grams)
- 1/2 pound elbow macaroni uncooked (226.8 grams)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded (56.5 grams)
Instructions
- Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Once it is broken up and has begun to brown, add in the onion, green bell pepper, and garlic. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Sauté the vegetables until they are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.1 pound ground beef, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- When the vegetables are tender, drain off any excess grease. Then season the meat and vegetables with chili powder, cumin, ground chipotle, and cayenne pepper.2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and kidney beans. Bring to a roaring boil.28 ounces diced tomatoes, 15 ounces tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon liquid smoke, 15 ounces kidney beans
- As soon as the chili comes to a boil, add the macaroni. Reduce the heat to low, to a simmer and cook, covered, until the macaroni is al dente, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.1/2 pound elbow macaroni
- Stir in 1/2 a cup of the cheddar cheese. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Top with the remainder of the cheese, and serve.1 cup cheddar cheese
Recipe Video
Notes
Nancy says
OMG I can’t wait to cook this. My kids are vegetarian, so I am going to swap the beef for lentils (I use a blend for nicer texture) and I use a blob of BBQ instead of liquid smoke. Also, as the Worcestershire is not vegetarian, I generally swap “Browning” liquid for that. I think this might end up becoming a weekly staple! Thanks so much!!!!
I hope the swaps work for you guys, and they all love it!
Michelle says
This was delicious and will definitely be in the rotation. Very quick and easy to put together, too. Thank you! 😊
I’ms glad you liked it so much!