One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
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Two favorite comfort foods come together in this super easy, 30 min one-pot meal that the whole family will go crazy for!
So after 2 long months of waiting and waiting, I finally brought our new puppy home today. Here is the newest member of the Damn Delicious family – Butters, our 10-week old Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
It’s been a very long day as I sit by hyperventilating each time he whines, but apparently that’s quite normal in the puppy world. So forgive me for today’s short post!
So about this mac and cheese. Now it’s definitely not your ordinary mac and cheese. It’s mac and cheese combined with a super easy homemade chili using pantry ingredients, combining two of your favorite kind of comfort foods in a single one pot meal. It’s quick, easy and sure to be a hit with the entire family. You can’t beat that!
One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- ¾ cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 10 ounces elbow macaroni
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and onion, and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in pasta. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Top with cheese and cover until melted, about 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Excellent!! Quick easy and tasty.
This is one of my favorite dishes, especially in the winter. I add a bit more cheese but it’s just so good!!
Came out delicious and it was super easy to make and quick! I added some cream cheese to mine to make the broth a little creamy! It was yummy!
This was delicious!! My whole family rated this 5 stars. My kids were fighting on who was taking what little left overs we had for lunch the next day. Thank you for such a great simple recipe! This one is a keeper!!
make it more like Mac and cheese. I added a small container of heavy cream, only about 3 cups broth, more Mexican mix cheese, one pound hamburger, extra seasoning and instead of all plain diced tomatoes, I added a can of the Rotel tomatoes. Those complaining it’s too bland or runny ….Do you test your food before you serve it? Simple recipe that can easily be adjusted, even at the end.
I’ve made the several times. It’s so easy to make and both my husband and I love it. He’s always happy having leftovers to take for work.
This recipe is fabulous! Everyone in my family just loves it!
Dear Chungah,
I just made your recipe for one pot chili Mac and cheese. It was in fact damn delicious! Thank you, so happy I found you. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. It was the first recipe of yours I made but will not be the last. Your recipes are fun and easy to follow. I love it, my husband loves it too!
This chili recipe has been my go-to for years. It’s easy to make and always comes out great! Sometimes when I am feeling extra hungry, like after a workout or something, I will put in some brown rice noodles rather than spaghetti pasta.
Other times if the mood strikes me as being low carb (or sugar free), then leave them out altogether and enjoy this delicious dish without carbs but still with all of its flavor intact! How do you calculate nutritional value?
I made this years and years ago but I made the chili with a box of augratin potatoes. It was awesome! Try it. I will try it with the macaroni too
Love this recipe! This is my go-to chili recipe! I have altered it a few times depending on my taste buds (like less onion, more garlic and cumin, and adding hot sauce) and it comes out great! Sometimes I leave out the noodles for a low carb chili. How do I figure the nutritional value without the noodles?
i am surprised at how much i liked this. i found the recipe when searching for different types of mac and cheese–this recipe does not resemble mac and cheese in any way so i kept in in the back of my mind for another day when i was craving something more like chili, which is really what this recipe is. chili with some noodles added (cheese topping is mandatory for all chili!). i followed the recipe exactly except i used a little less pasta, as i like a nice broth. and it is delicious! we all had seconds and some thirds. i will make a gain, though i will call it ‘Brothy chili with noodles’!
This was easy to make with typical pantry items. Tasty and fulfilling on a chilly spring evening.
It was easy to make and enjoyed by my whole family.
I made this recipe and it was damn delicious! =) If I wanted to make it cheesier, could I add cheese soup to the recipe? Or do you have a recommendation for that?
This is SUPER good and easy! I made it in the instant pot and just keep the pasta on the side so it doesn’t get mushy and mix it in when ready to eat the soup part! Helps with tracking on WW too. SO good exactly as written!
As a retired head chef from NYC, I have to say that my wife and I absolutely love this recipe. The only thing that I’ve done differently is that I use Better Than Bullion Beef Base. Thanks for yet another wonderful recipe.
BTW, your puppy is absolutely adorable. Back in the 60’s mom raised Welch Corgis. For a ‘working class’ dog, they’ve got a great temperament; when treated right. My best to you both.
I made this yesterday. I followed the recipe. It was definitely delicious. I will make it again.
Is the pasta cooked or dry when you put in? Thanks!
The pasta is uncooked when you add it in.
So good, I have made it 3 times in a month. Comfort food and healthy. I added more ground beef and more cheese!
We love this recipe!! Even the picky eaters in my house love it!! Thanks for a great recipe!!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it numerous times—-rarely exactly as written. I might be serving a big crowd and will triple it, but only have one can of beans on hand or extra meat or using Rotel and not regular diced tomatoes. The only thing I don’t recommend is using a pasta other than elbow macaroni. Elbow macaroni just makes this silky texture. Don’t shy away from the spices either. Thank you for this highly adaptable recipe!