Enjoy a nice comforting bowl of Chili Mac by making this easy recipe. If you love chili, you will love this recipe as it checks all of the boxes. It has spice, flavor, ground beef, and is made with macaroni pasta. Top the Chili Mac off with shredded cheese, sour cream, or sliced jalapeno.
I remember when I was younger, Chilli Mac with cornbread was one of those wonderful comfort meals that my mom would make at the beginning of the week and would serve as leftovers. As a kid, I thought it was weird that chili had noodles in it. But I loved it more than regular chili. But this is a great meal to eat on the weekends or even for football and tailgating parties
Living in Cincinnati, OH I’ve learned that there many ways that people like their chili. Growing up I hated chili. That is because my mom makes a horrible pot of chili. I am not telling you anything I haven’t already shared with her. HATED IT! I thought the way she made it was all there was to chili. Once I got older and allowed myself to become more exposed to other people’s chili, that is when I accepted that my mom just can’t cook chili, and it’s quite delicious.
Living in Cincinnati, OH, a city that prides itself on having some of the best chili in the country, I learned there is more than one way to enjoy chili. People here love their chili as a 3-Way Cincinnati Style Chili or thick and hearty like my Award-Winning Chili recipe. They also eat Chili Mac.
Homemade Chili Mac is a midwest classic recipe that is budget-friendly, easy, and doesn’t take that long to make. This is an easy weeknight dinner recipe that can feed a large family and makes great leftovers. This Chili Mac recipe is a great pantry recipe that you can also freeze for another day. If you have a box of macaroni, a can of tomato paste, kidney beans, tomato sauce, and some chili flavor, then you will have a complete one-pot meal!
Ingredient Substitutions
In case you are wondering what are some recommended ingredient substitutions that will still taste amazing in this Chili Mac, I’ve got you covered.
Ground Turkey: Instead of using ground beef, you can use ground turkey to make a leaner pot of Chili Mac.
Ground Turkey Sausage: Feel free to substitute the beef ingredients I have listed with all turkey everything.
Chicken Broth: You can use water in the measurements that are listed in this recipe, but to add more flavor, you can also use chicken broth.
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes. In fact, every time I make this recipe, I always have enough to where I put some in an air-tight freezer bag and put them in the freezer. If you do this, you will want to let the Chili Mac cool at room temperature. Then, place the freezer bag flat to freeze perfectly. Otherwise, you can store and freeze in an airtight container.
Yes. You can use penne, shells, or bow tie pasta. I also think rigatoni would be a good alternative.
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Chilli Mac Recipe
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8
Description
This Easy Chili Mac one-pot meal is a perfect recipe to satisfy a crowd or a perfect as a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
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1 lb ground chuck
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1 lb ground Italian sausage
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2 tbsp. olive oil
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1 c. chopped Vidalia onion
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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1 lb. can tomato sauce
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14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
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15 oz. can chili beans
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2- 1.5 oz. packets chili seasoning
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2 tsp. Chili powder
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1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
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salt & pepper to taste
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16 oz. box uncooked elbow macaroni
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2 c. water or chicken stock
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Garnish: finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, or fresh cilantro
Instructions
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In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Once your olive oil is hot, add your onions, both peppers, and saute for about 3 minutes.
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Add both of your meats to the pan with your veggies. Cook until the meat is no longer raw, season with salt and pepper, and then turn down the burner on warm. Continue to stir so your meat doesn’t burn.
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Fill a pot with water for your macaroni noodles and bring your water to a boil. Cook the noodles until al dente (partially cooked).
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Once your noodles are done, drain the water and place noodles back in the pot. Reserve one cup of water from the cooked macaroni and pour it back into the pot with the drained pasta. Don’t put your noodles back on the burner just yet. In fact, I wouldn’t return the pot back to the same burner because you want to allow your dish to simmer on warm. Therefore, use a different burner that has not been used yet.
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In the pot with ground meat, add the tomato sauce, beans, diced tomatoes, chili packet, red pepper flakes, water and salt and pepper to taste.
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Turn the heat of the stove down to low. Cover with lid and allow to cook fo 20-25 minutes while stirring occasionally.
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When you are ready to eat, top off with some finely shredded cheese. If you want, you can even add a dollop of sour cream!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
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