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There’s nothing a bowl of Chili Mac can’t fix. This easy pasta, beef, and bean recipe lives to please; it’s fast, filling, and usually makes the cares of the day vanish into thin air. Plus when it’s time to clean up, you only have one pot to wash.
Meggan’s notes
Relax, Chili Mac has got tonight’s dinner all figured out. Made with ground beef and a handful of pantry items, you’ll be eating well in under half an hour. All you need is one pot or skillet.
Treat it just like your favorite chili or mac and cheese. Sprinkle on some cheddar cheese, scallions, a dollop of sour cream, or a couple dashes of hot sauce, if you like it spicy. Just hold onto your bowl! You’ll definitely want seconds.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Ground beef: Any fat percentage you’re happy with. Of course, you can make turkey mac, chicken mac, or bison mac if that’s what you got.
- Kidney beans: But other beans are a-ok too, so feel free to use pintos, black beans, or white beans.
- Diced tomatoes and tomato paste: Diced for texture, paste for flavor.
- Green chilies: Canned green chilies add so much delicious taste. Pick your preferred heat level.
- Macaroni: Or use any small pasta. You can make chili fusilli, which is actually really fun to say!
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large sturdy pot like a Dutch oven or skillet, cook the beef and onions together over medium-high heat. Brown the beef, and then drain off the extra fat.
- Return the pot to the stove and add the chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Give this a short stir until the mixture turns fragrant. Add the beans, the tomatoes (and their juice), the tomato paste, the green chilies (and their juice), the macaroni, and the water. Season this with salt and pepper and mix everything up.
- Cover the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let the ingredients cook until the macaroni is almost done, about 10 minutes. Then take the lid off and let the chili Mac simmer uncovered until the pasta is completely cooked through. At this point, give it a taste and add a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
Recipe tips and variations
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Go ahead, but I should remind you that this little beauty comes together in about 25 minutes. It’s that quick. Leftovers heat up beautifully, so there may be enough for several meals if there’s just a couple of you at home.
- Freezer: Portion the chili Mac (without toppings) out into freezer ware, date, label, and freeze. When ready to eat, thaw out the night before and reheat. Great for meal prep.
- Don’t forget the toppings: Chopped jalapeño peppers, cilantro, extra cheese, onions, diced tomatoes, did I say extra cheese?
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Chili Mac
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (see note 1)
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans undrained (see note 2)
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles undrained
- 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni or any small pasta
- 1 1/4 cups water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheese and sour cream, thinly sliced scallions, and hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, add beef and onion. Cook until beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
- Stir in garlic, chili powder, and cumin until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in kidney beans, diced tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, green chiles with juice, macaroni, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
- Cover and simmer until macaroni is almost cooked, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until macaroni is tender and sauce has thickened slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes longer, then season to taste with salt and pepper (I like an additional ¼ teaspoon salt). Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, and hot sauce if desired.
Notes
- Ground beef: For a lighter casserole, substitute ground turkey or chicken.
- Kidney beans: Substitute 1 ½ cups cooked beans for the can (that’s about ½ cup dried beans before cooking). You can use any type of canned or cooked bean instead of kidney including pinto beans, black beans, or red beans.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
hello! I really like your recipe alot! It was so easy to make!
Really yummy and easy.