Chili Mac and Cheese tastes like your favourite Chili – with the added cheesy goodness of Mac & Cheese! Sensational ground beef dinner recipe that’s on the table in just over 20 minutes – and it’s all made in one pot. It’s truly fabulously delicious!
On the table in just over 20 minutes, made with beef mince, pasta, beans, canned tomatoes, everyday spices, and some kind of cheese, it’s sinfully scrumptious!
Chili Mac and Cheese
There’s plenty of food mash ups in the world. Like pizza – it seems like there is a pizza-everything: tacos, casserole, dips, soup, pie, pasta, cake.
I’m not above doing mash ups. I’ll do them when combining two recipes brings something else to the dish, rather than doing them just for the sake of being “cool” or “out there”. I’m beyond the years of playing with food for the sake of being trendy, I just want it to be tasty!
So – Chili Mac and Cheese. A cross between Chili and Mac and Cheese, all made in one pot. The sauce flavour is like beef Chilli Con Carne, with the addition of macaroni and cheesy goodness stirred into it as well as on top.
SO GOOD!!!
Yes, you can freeze Chili Mac!
Cool, then freeze in airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge then reheat in microwave until steamy, stir well. I like to sprinkle extra cheese on then pop it back in the microwave. This Chili Mac recipe freezes well because it’s a saucy, juicy version!
What goes in Chili Mac and Cheese
Here’s what you need. Nothing unusual here!
My Chili Mac is made with a homemade Chili Powder. What’s known as “Chili Powder” in the US is actually a spice mix, not just pure chili, and it varies from brand to brand. It’s not sold here in Australia, though I’ve always got a stash because I stock up when I travel to the States.
So I prefer to make my own – for consistency of flavour, no matter where you are in the world!
How to make it
Chili Mac and Cheese is completely made in one pot. Start the usual way – sautéing garlic and onion to create the flavour base – add the beef, the spices and everything else. The pasta will cook while the sauce thickens, and a mere 15 minutes later, you’ll have dinner on the table!
I love a cosy one-pot pasta like Chili Mac. It’s a firm favourite alongside Cheeseburger Casserole (Homemade Hamburger Helper!), One Pot Vegetable Pasta and One Pot Spaghetti Bolognese!
I love how the macaroni sucks up all the flavour as it cooks in the sauce. And the fact that there’s only one pot to clean up is certainly a big plus!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 1 red capsicum / bell pepper , chopped
- 500g / 1 lb ground beef (mince) , I use lean
- 800g / 28 oz crushed canned tomato
- 420g / 14 oz can red kidney beans , drained
- 2 1/2 cups (625 ml) beef broth (chicken broth also ok)
- 250g / 8 oz elbow macaroni pasta (elbow pasta), uncooked
- 2 cups (200g) shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, tasty cheese)
- 1/4 cup coriander / cilantro finely chopped, for garnish
Spices (Homemade Chili Powder):
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper or pure chilli powder (adjust spiciness to taste) (Note 1)
- 2 tsp paprika powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder (can sub garlic powder)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat oil in large pot over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute. Then add capsicum and cook until onion is translucent.
- Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go.
- Once the beef turns from red to brown, add remaining ingredients except cheese. Stir, bring to simmer, then turn the heat down to medium.
- Cover and cook for 12 minutes or until the macaroni is al dente, meaning just cooked, still a tiny bit on the firm side. It should be saucy but not tons of liquid (see video).
- Turn the stove OFF but leave the pot on the stove. Stir through half the cheese – it should be a bit saucy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining cheese, put the lid back on and leave until the cheese melts - about 2 minutes (sauce will absorb further during this period).
- Sprinkle with coriander, if desired, and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Chili Mac recipe originally published October 2017. Updated October 2019 with new photos, brand new video and spruced up the writing. No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare!
Life of Dozer
The other day, he spent the better part of the morning buried under the blanket like this. Whether he was cold, or trying to hide (I can’t see you, so you can’t see me….)?? 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
And Life of Dozer from the first time I published this recipe in 2017:
{I was in Fiji with friends at the time!} Usually when I travel, Dozer goes to stay with his “family” with a golden retriever boarder. He thunders around the house, rumbles with his friends, and generally completely forgets all about me.
Unfortunately, he’s a bit lame at the moment (nothing serious, just pulled a muscle from excessive beach craziness) so I left him with my mother for some quiet healing time.
Apparently, this is how he’s spending his day. 😢
Delicious, quick and one pot – all my favourite words in one recipe!
Easy one pot meal that was delicious. (Substituted spices with 1 teaspoon Aldi Chilli powder).
This was a hard “yes”! I’ve been following you Nagi, since preparing your juicy crockpot turkey breast some years back and love your tutorials!
This was the flavorful delight of chili, coupled with the decadence of mac&cheese, but without the calories of butter! Yum!!! I’m a relatively advanced cook and the only adjustment I made was to substitute 14 oz of petite diced tomatoes and 14 oz of tomato sauce for the 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes. It was simply a texture thing.
What a quick, delish one pot meal!
This is an excellent and easy recipe. Granted I substituted spices with Dan-O’s seasoning. Chipotle, Spicy, Premo, and Cheesoning. Added jalapeños and celery with onions. Cheesy with mozzarella and Colby. It was tasty! Thanks for the recipe! We enjoyed it last night.
Made this a few times, it has gone down a treat!!
So good!!! Easy to make and very flavorful!
As usual excellent and it was only a 2 beer cook
It’s below zero (Fahrenheit) here in Colorado and this recipe hit the spot. Very easy to make, yields a ton and is super tasty.
Always a hit 🙂 Ive been making this for years now, even through diets because it’s just so easy and fulfilling, I don’t use oil and I use chicken/turkey mince and add like 2-3 peppers 2 onions and 2 cans of black/kidney beans to up the contents with good stuff to make a few more portions, swap the cheese for lighter and you reduce like 200 cals per serving while still serving 5 but I usually stretch it into 6, absolutely delicious, I double it after this and freeze loads and I’m set for ages 🙂 never felt deprived, though I do sometimes make it like the original with a nice dolop of sour cream on top 🤤 always a winner 🙂
Yum! Thanks for the tip to add extra veg and beans – I did the same and used Kangaroo mince which is also lean. Which meant I felt fine to also add the sour cream!!
I wouldn’t typically go for this type of dish myself but I thought it looked like something the family would enjoy. This was so delicious!! Everyone loved it including myself. Used more of the spices due to an accidental spill but it worked. Another amazing recipe thank you Nagi and team!
8 oz of pasta. do you weigh the pasta?
First time making this, but will not be the last!! Scarfed down by the family. Son absolutely loved it!!
Smashed it again Nagi. Thank you.
This recipe is on a fortnightly rotation at our house! Busy family of 5, this is a quick one pot dinner that my 3 kids love.
When my kids were super small, I used to make a recipe called “Cincinnati Chili Mac” from a vegetarian cook book I have, and they loved it. Now they are teenagers I said “I should make chili Mac like when you were little” They have no recollection of this, and think that’s a crazy idea.
I found this recipe looking on your site for something to make on pasta night. It was great! I used 4 teaspoons of chili powder (like, the North American kind) as I am out of paprika, in place of the paprika, cumin, and cayenne. I also added the onion powder and oregano. I used ground chicken because I had some in the freezer. Old cheddar for the cheese. So good!
This was so much quicker than I thought for a weeknight dinner! It also froze well which I did because it makes a lot.
Fantastic and easy meal. I had three serves. Will make again!
*Very* popular with the kids – 100% chance of making again. Thank you!
Brilliant, delicious with fantastic flavours, definately use the homemade chilli powder.
I made this Chili Mac for the first time last night. It was outstanding!!! I followed your recipe, almost. I added a tablespoon of beef base and more macaroni. I used sharp cheddar, probably more than 2 cups. Hubby grated the cheese for me, so he went a little wild! 😉
My 8 yo granddaughter spent the night with us and she enjoyed it immensely, so much so, she had seconds. She’ll probably have it for lunch today.
Thanks again Nagi for another wonderfully tasty recipe!!
Easy and delicious! I made it with ground bison and it was so good.