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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I can write an honest review for every single recipe I’ve tried through this website and the cookbook stating that all of them are absolutely flawless and amazing! Thank you Jennifer for sharing all of your wonderful recipes.
I’ve chosen this recipe because it is a frequent go-to. The whole family will eat it (even my two little picky eaters). Not only is it delicious, it requires little time to prepare for a quick crazy week night meal!
This was easy and delicious. It was one of those dishes that I like more the more I ate it.
Would this freeze well? Prepping for my first few weeks as a new (first time) mom!
Congrats on your soon to come addition!! I think the ground beef mixture will freeze nicely but not sure about the whole dish. If you want to partially make it, you could prepare it up to the step right before you add the broth and other ingredients. Hope that helps!
I can attest to this! We froze our leftovers and with the noodles in, it was a bit mushy but frozen separately I’m sure it will be great!
This recipe is great and we absolutely loved it! It was easy to make and cooking it all in one pot made clean up a breeze. I did not have any tomato sauce on hand but used one can of Delmonte Stewed Tomatoes instead ~ it was delicious. Thanks Jen for another outstanding recipe!
I’ve made several of your recipes and this was another winner. It’s so quick, simple and comforting. My family loves chili mac but I don’t like to have them eat processed/pre-packaged foods so I was delighted to find a recipe I could make with fresh, wholesome ingredients. I’ll probably dial the cayenne back a bit for my taste. It was SO good.
Really delicious, easy to make, great reheated the next day. I’ve made it twice, both times a super hit with my husband. Love the crumbled up tortilla chips on the top for crunch. Great comfort food for the winter months.
i have regular chili powder and regular paprika. will it taste the same?
It will taste slightly different, but it will still be good. 🙂
really good! I didn’t have tomato sauce so I used a jar of homemade stewed tomatoes. in place of commercial Mex shred cheese, I used fresh-shred colby-jack cheese tossed with some taco seasoning. we were skeptical about the evap milk, but the results were amazing!! thank you for a tasty dinner! also I don’t like smoked paprika so we used regular… and I don’t have the ancho seasoning or whatev, so we used an adobo seasoning (normally for enchiladas) instead. lastly I only had a cup and a half left of chicken broth so we used that plus homemade vegetable broth to make up for the rest. so good!!
Hello! If I’m making this ahead, should I hold off on adding the evaporated milk and cheese until closer to serving or will it not matter?
Thanks for all of your great recipes! We’ve enjoyed several of them.
Hi Amelia, I wouldn’t recommend making this ahead b/c I think the pasta will get mushy. It’s not much of a timesaver, but you could brown the beef with the spices ahead of time and then finish with the remainder of the recipe when you’re ready to serve it. Hope that helps!
Absolutely loved it! I’m actually making it for the 3rd time right now!
Thanks for this hearty and easy recipe!!!
This is a great recipe. Huge hit with the whole family. Easy to make with clear directions. Will definitely make this again.