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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Omgosh this was a hit! Hubs is vegetarian/pescatarian so I used a pack of beyond meat burgers and a packet of beyond meat sausage. Made vegetable broth from previously trimmed vegetables odds and ends and added a bit of soy and fish sauce – I know sounds weird but turned out yumm! Followed directions for everything else and yummy! Another Once Upon a Chef recipe for rotation!
This is amazing! We all loved it — including my picky 8 and 11 year olds! I just omitted the cayenne, doubled the recipe and added a can of kidney beans! It was perfect! Thank you!!!
Hi Jenn,
Our family has some dairy intolerance challenges. Can you recommend a substitute ingredient for the evaporated milk, which is heavily concentrated with lactose and casein? I have been able to find some cheese substitutes to replace all or part of the grated cheese.
Love your recipes and own your book😊. Keep us your fabulous work!!
Hi Carol, glad you like the recipes! I’d actually just leave the evaporated milk out. It won’t be quite as creamy but will still be delicious. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Thank you, Jenn! This is SOOO good! I followed the recipe to a ‘T’ and it turned out perfectly! Honestly, any recipe I have tried of yours has been a hit; all starting with your Pumpkin Bread recipe a few years ago (which I have shared with many friends and family along with your website)! Let’s just say my taste buds totally get you! The only thing I did differently is serve with cornbread muffins. SO good!
Would regular paprika or chili powder be a good substitute for the smoked paprika? Only got a pinch left!😬
Sure, either should work – enjoy!
This is delicious and so easy to bring together. Perfect for a week night!
The flavors are amazing and the ease of cooking for any night of the week is much appreciated in our busy family.
My family loved this! It was so easy and delicious on a rainy night. Jenn never lets us down!
We’ve always wanted to try chili mac and cheese so I was very happy when this recipe came into my inbox. I’m so impressed!! So delicious, so easy, just spectacular. I added a little hot sauce to my bowl but it’s wonderful without it, too. Thank you, Jenn!
This was tasty, my small kids enjoyed it too. I had a hard time finding ground nacho chili powder (in Southern CA!) so I bought the actual dried Chiles, soaked them in some hot water, blended the water and chilies together and used the resulting paste in the recipe. I used 1 tbsp – not sure if I should have used more or less. I might try 2-3 tbsp next time just to compare. Random note about shredded Mexican style cheese, the bag I bought was 8 oz and was labeled “2 cups”. Was that a misprint on the cheese bag? If yes, I may have but too much cheese in the dish since recipe indicates 6 oz and I threw in the whole 8 oz bag.
Hi Susie, Glad you liked this! The 6-ounce packages of this cheese in my area are the equivalent of 2 cups volume-wise, so you may have used a little extra – but you can’t go wrong with a little extra cheese! 🙂