Chili Mac
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Winner, winner, kid-friendly dinner! This one-pot chili mac belongs in your weeknight recipe rotation.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
A regular menu item in the school cafeteria when I was growing up, chili mac is one of those nostalgic dishes that reminds me of my childhood. This tasty mash-up of mac and cheese and chili is a comforting one-pot dish that you can have on the table in less than 45 minutes. When my kids were younger, it was one of my go-to weeknight dinners. Nowadays, I make a big batch when my nephews, Max, Leo and Remy (ages 10, 8, and 3), come for dinner. I mean, with pasta, cheese, and ground beef, how can you go wrong with kids? Serve it with tortilla chips for dipping or crushing over the top.
Table of Contents
“This is a surprisingly simple meal….but so much more. It is full of familiar flavors, but miles away from school cafeteria fare.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chili Mac
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics form the flavor foundation.
- Ancho Chile Powder, Ground Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Cayenne Pepper & Oregano: This spice and herb blend gives the dish its distinctive chili flavor.
- Lean Ground Beef: The protein component, adding richness and texture. Leaner beef keeps the dish from being too greasy.
- Chicken Broth: The liquid base that cooks the macaroni and integrates all the flavors.
- Canned Tomato Sauce: Adds tomato flavor and acidity, balancing the richness of the beef and cheese.
- Macaroni: The classic pasta choice for chili mac.
- Evaporated Milk: Adds creaminess to the dish without the heaviness of cream.
- Mexican Cheese Blend: Melts into the dish, adding creaminess and a rich, cheesy flavor.
- Scallions: Adds a fresh, oniony crunch and a pop of color when serving.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Then add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.
Cook, stirring often, about 1 minute more.
Add the beef.
Cook, stirring and breaking apart the meat, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, oregano, sugar and pasta.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring every so often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, 9 to 12 minutes. Use a soup spoon to skim any grease off the top, if necessary.
Off the heat, add the evaporated milk and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Ladle the chili mac into bowls and sprinkle with scallions. Serve with more cheese and tortilla chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chili mac is best enjoyed fresh as it contains pasta, which can become overcooked and mushy if left to sit for an extended period.
Yes, you can substitute other medium pasta shapes such as rotini or shells. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time based on the type of pasta you use, as different shapes may require more or less time to cook to al dente.
The recipe has a pretty mild level of spiciness. If you prefer an even milder flavor, reduce or omit the cayenne pepper. For extra heat, you can increase the cayenne pepper, add diced jalapeños, or shake on hot sauce to taste.
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Beef Chili Mac
Winner, winner, kid-friendly dinner! This one-pot chili mac belongs in your weeknight recipe rotation.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Ancho chile powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional; omit for less heat)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 pound 85 or 90% lean ground beef
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 8 ounces (about 2 cups) elbow macaroni
- 1 cup (8 oz) evaporated milk
- 1½ cups (one 6-oz package) shredded Mexican cheese blend, plus more for serving
- 3 medium scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and salt and cook, stirring often, about 1 minute more. Add the beef and cook, stirring and breaking apart the meat, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, oregano, sugar, and macaroni and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring every so often so the macaroni doesn't stick to the bottom, until the pasta is al dente, 9 to 12 minutes. Use a soup spoon to skim any grease off the top, if necessary.
- Off the heat, add the evaporated milk and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Ladle the chili mac into bowls and sprinkle with the scallions. Serve with more shredded cheese and tortilla chips.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 918
- Fat: 46 g
- Saturated fat: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Sugar: 18 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 55 g
- Sodium: 1489 mg
- Cholesterol: 155 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made this last night and my family loved it!!!! Easy to make with ingredients on hand and comes together quickly. The only substitutions I made was I used onion powder because I didn’t have any fresh onions left & heavy cream instead of the evaporated milk because it was what I had. Thanks Jen for another flavorful recipe!!
made this recipe tonight. super easy… ONE POT!!!!! so delicious! the whole family loved it! thanks for such an easy quick meal. this is one of many of your recipes that i have made and i love what you do!
I made this last night and because we are trying to not have to go out unless absolutely necessary I made a couple of substitutions. I used ground chicken, half and half and Snowdonia Red Devil cheese which is a red Leicester with chilis. This was delicious and is definitely a keeper. Thank you for the recipe. I will be making this again but when I do, I will use a non-stick pot. Using a stainless steel pot, as I did, meant I had to constantly stir it to scrape the macaroni from the bottom of the pot.
Hi Jenn,
I am a vegetarian so do you suggest any substitute for beef? Can this be made with any vegetables?
Thanks,
SK
Hi SK, I think you could get away with substituting the beef with your favorite beans. A couple nice vegetable additions that come to mind — diced bell peppers, fresh tomatoes and/or mushrooms. Hope that helps and that you enjoy. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it this way!
Thanks Jenn. Will try and let you know.
The ingredients were simple, and it didn’t take long to cook. I didn’t have evaporated milk, so I added a tablespoon of sour cream. It was very tasty! Thank you so much 🙂
That’s a great idea (to substitute sour cream for evaporated milk)! I don’t have evaporated milk nor whole milk and am trying to avoid going out unnecessarily. Thanks.
I like that this recipe uses herbs and spices from the cupboard rather than a packet of chili or taco seasoning. I add a chopped up green pepper when I saute’ the onion for flavor and to incorporate more veg.
Had to make ingredient adjustments to fit what I had so substituted jimmy dean hot sausage for hamburger, sweet paprika for smoked paprika, sharp cheddar cheese and 3/4c half n half for 1c evaporated milk. We loved it.
I cooked this tonight for the family. My kids and husband enjoyed it very much. We added multigrain tortilla chips on top. I liked the reviewer’s idea of adding green pepper. Overall, another tasty recipe. Thanks.
What’s a good substitution for Mexican Cheese blend?
Hi Susan, you can use Cheddar or Monterey Jack (or a combination of the two). Enjoy!
I may try this tonight looks like a delicious and quick supper. Thanks
This actually looks good, even though I’ve never had it. Can I use something besides evaporated milk for this? Regular milk, half and half or heavy cream?
Sure, Alisa. I’d go with half and half.
Can’t wait to try! How well will this double if using the same pot? Thanks and take care!
Hi Chad, I think you could double this in the same pot w/o any issues. Please LMK how it turns out. 🙂
Can you tell me how much onion powder to Substitute for the fresh onion. I don’t have any onions. Thank you
Hi Vikki, I don’t have much experience with onion powder but I’m guessing you’ll need about 2 teaspoons. Please LMK how it turns out with this!
This turned out delicious. I went with your suggestion on the amount but doubled it since I was doubling the recipe. My kids asked why this was the first time I was making this dish! Good pantry pull recipe. Thank you!
Hi, have been looking for a good chilli Mac recipe and I am sure your recipe will be amazing. My only question is can I substitute evaporated milk with 2% or cream?
Thanks, I am in Ontario Canada and looking to try some new recipes during this unsettling time.
Hi Elizabeth, if you don’t have evaporated milk, you could get away with half & half (that would be my first choice as a substitute), heavy cream, or whole milk. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I just realized I did not let you know how it turned out. It was fantastic. I used whole milk. We served it with jalepeno corn bread.
So glad — thanks for the follow-up! 🙂