An easy, delectable one-pot Chili Mac made with ground beef, elbow macaroni, tomatoes, and a perfect blend of spices, all covered with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. This hearty meal is great for big appetites and is one of our go-to fall and winter comfort food recipes.
I love to serve this tasty dish with a simple garden salad and corn muffins. This is a meal that the kids love, made with all-natural ingredients, many of which you may already have on hand.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Ground beef: Purchase ground chuck, which is 80% lean and 20% fat, for a richer, more juicy beef flavor than lean ground beef. You can substitute ground turkey or ground pork for ground beef.
- Beef broth: preferably low-sodium
- Spices: chili powder, ground cumin, and ground cayenne pepper. If you like spicy food, add more chili powder, cayenne pepper, or crushed red pepper.
- Shredded cheddar is the preferred cheese. However, you can substitute sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or a Mexican cheese blend.
How to make Chili Mac
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Start by browning your ground beef in a large pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat. About halfway through the browning process, add the onion. Continue cooking until the onion is soft and the beef browns. Reduce the heat and add the garlic, cooking for about 1 minute while stirring. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, beef broth, chili powder, ground cumin, ground cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and dried oregano. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat and stir in the elbow macaroni. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the noodles are tender. Stir in about a cup of shredded cheddar.
Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Top with the cheddar cheese. Cover and let the cheese fully melt. Spoon into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- To remove the excess grease, tilt the pan and use a paper towel to absorb the grease. This process works great every time.
- If you know you will save some of this for leftovers or freezing a portion, cook the pasta separately. Follow the instructions to cook it al dente since you will reheat it.
- Top individual servings with Fritos, green onions, jalapenos, spicey or pickled bell peppers, or a dollop of sour cream.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. For best results, cook the pasta separately and add right before serving.
Cook this dish through step #3, but cook the noodles 1-2 minutes short of al dente. Remove the casserole from the heat and cool for about an hour. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, remove the pot from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature for about 45 minutes. Put it on the stovetop over low heat and simmer until the pasta is tender. Top with the cheese and cover to melt,
More Ground Beef Recipes
Chili Mac
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2½-3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat. About halfway through the browning process, add the onion. Continue cooking until the onion is soft and the beef is browned.
- Reduce the heat and add the garlic, cooking for about 1 minute while stirring. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, beef broth, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and ground cayenne pepper, Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat and stir in the elbow macaroni. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the noodles are tender.
- Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Top with the cheddar cheese. Cover and let the cheese fully melt. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- To remove the excess grease, tilt the pan and use a paper towel to absorb the grease. Works great every time.
- If you know you will save some of this for leftovers or freezing a portion, cook the pasta separately. Follow the instructions to cook it al dente since you will reheat it.
- Top individual servings with Fritos, green onions, jalapenos, spicey or pickled bell peppers, or a dollop of sour cream.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
Nutrition
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Janice
I made this chili mac for the family and they just loved it. This recipe is great – thank you for sharing. I will make it again.
Celebrate Woman Today
Mac ‘n Cheese recipes are so abundant! I would like to try this one. Always interesting to explore new flavors with an old mac recipe! Bravo!
Sandra
My family loved it! I will be making it again and again all fall!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Sandra! We love it too!
adriana
This looks sooo good! I definitely am going to try it out. Always looking for new recipes and this one looks like it’ll be a new favorite! Yum!
Tammy
What a delicious and comforting family dinner for the fall evenings ahead! Looks so cheesy and delicious…I wish I had a serving right now 😀
Catalina
The best flavorful weeknight meal! Perfect for my busy nights!
Karen
This looks so so good! I love chili but never had chili mac! I can’t wait to make your recipe, it is very easy to follow.
Erin
Such a satisfying dish! I’m definitely making this! We loved it.
Amanda
Perfect dinner that the whole family loved. I made this and everyone went crazy over it!
Melissa Cushing
Ummm… YUM! This looks amazing and I have printed the recipe out already to make for my family. Comfort fod at its finest!o
Yeah Lifestyle
My family loves chilli and mac and cheese but we have not made chilli mac before. This looks absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to try making this next
Tammy
How absolutely delicious and comforting! The temps here have been up and down lately so today would be a perfect day something like this…comforting and hearty!
Risa Lopez
This was absolutely delicious. Thanks for the great recipe. Even my picky daughter loved it.
Mosaic Borders
This looks so so good! I can’t wait to make your recipe, I love chili mac…So excited.
briannemanzb
This is truly fabulously delicious! I love how the macaroni sucks up all the flavor as it cooks in the sauce. And the fact that there’s only one pot to clean up is certainly a big plus
Beth Pierce
Thanks Brianne!
Laura
YUM! This sounds sooooo good. Pasta is a regular in our house – it is so quick and easy to make.