What's better than a one pot meal? How about a one pot meal that is ready is about 30 minutes? This Chili Mac and Cheese Recipe is one of those beef recipes to make when you are pressed for time and want to serve your family something yummy and filling much like our Tailgating Recipe -Healthier Chili.
As a bonus, at the end of the meal, you'll only have one pot to clean up. Better yet, ask someone else to clean it. You already put dinner on the table. Be sure to also try this Chili Macaroni Casserole and Texas Toast Sloppy Joes.
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Want a more classic mac and cheese recipe? Try this Baked Macaroni and Cheese.
Why this easy one pot chili mac and cheese is awesome
- One-pot meal means clean up is easy
- The ultimate in comfort food
- A hearty meal perfect for a cool night
Ingredients
Olive oil
Lean ground beef or ground turkey
Chili powder
Cumin
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Water
Tomato sauce
Elbow macaroni
Mexican blend shredded cheese
How to make easy chili mac recipe
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Next, add ground beef, and cook until the beef is browned. Be sure to break up any large chunks of beef to help speed along the cooking process.
WHAT KIND OF SKILLET SHOULD I USE FOR ONE POT CHILI MAC AND CHEESE?
You will want to be sure to use a large skillet or Dutch oven since you will be adding a lot of ingredients and don't want anything to spill over. A 6 quart skillet works well.
Once the beef has browned, add in chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and stir for one minute until the spices are even distributed.
DO YOU COOK THE NOODLES BEFORE ADDING THEM TO THE CHILI?
The wonderful thing about this dish is that you don't have to! Simply add water, tomato sauce, and elbow macaroni, and cook everything on medium-high heat to bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 9-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta is cooked through. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the shredded cheese over top. No need to drain.
Put the lid back on the pot and let the cheese melt.
Now you have some ooey gooey mac and cheese with all the yummy flavors of chili. So good!
Next time you are looking for a family friendly meal that won't take forever to cook up, try this easy chili mac and cheese which uses just one pot! You'll love the rich taste and simple clean up.
📖 Recipe
Easy One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp. Chili powder
- 1 tbsp. Cumin
- 2 tsp. Onion powder
- 2 tsp. Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- 2 cups water
- 15 oz. tomato sauce
- 8 oz. elbow noodles
- 8 oz. mexican blend shredded cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add ground beef, and cook until browned, breaking up any large chunks.
- Once browned, add in chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
- Stir, cooking for 1 minute, until spices are fragrant.
- Add water, tomato sauce, and noodles, and cook on medium-high to bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 9-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until noodles are cooked through.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle the cheese over top. Put the lid back on and let the cheese melt.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
This nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using online calculators. Your nutritional information may vary depending on numerous factors.
Frequently asked questions
This dish is filling enough on it's own, but if you want to add a side dish, you can do cornbread or tortilla chips. A side salad works well too.
You have a lot of options here. I used a Mexican blend, but cheddar cheese works really well as does Monterey and pepper jack.
Some people do add beans to this dish. I prefer not to since there is a lot going on here already. I have added red kidney beans in the past, and the dish was tasty but I found it a bit heavy.
Denisse Salinas says
After the sugar- laden holidays this recipe is just PERFECT! Love that you can make it all in one pot - because we all have enough dirty dishes around Christmas, right?
stephanie says
This recipe was easy and delicious!!! My son loved it and wants me to make more.
Anita says
This was easy and delicious. A big hit in our home, and definitely going to be a repeat. 🙂
Erika says
I love the idea of adding chili to mac and cheese, yum!
Justine says
This was so cheesy! I was in heaven with every bite, nom nom nom.