Ultimate Chili Mac: 1 Comfort Food Dream
Enjoy the ultimate comfort food experience with this one-pot Chili Mac. It perfectly combines hearty chili with creamy macaroni and cheese for a delicious and satisfying meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: One-Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess grease.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Stir in the kidney beans, diced tomatoes (with their juice), tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add the uncooked elbow macaroni and water to the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the macaroni is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted and creamy.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- For a spicier chili mac, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a diced jalapeño with the onions.
- You can substitute ground turkey or a plant-based crumble for the ground beef.
- Feel free to add other vegetables like corn or bell peppers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg