One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese is pure comfort food! It’s loaded with seasoned ground beef, macaroni, chili beans, tomatoes, and three cups of melty cheese. Trust me, no one’s leaving the table still hungry after this!
One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese
This is a true one pot recipe. The ground beef, macaroni, cheesy sauce, it all cooks in one single pot so cleanup is nice and easy! It also only takes about 45 minutes or so from start to finish. If you need a new weeknight hero (especially on colder evenings when you need something cozy), this is it! It’s a family favorite and always hits the spot. What really sends it over the top is the three heaping cups of cheese that really drive the mac and cheese element home. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I’m served chili mac, but it’s really just chili with macaroni noodles… With this recipe, you get the cheesy goodness too!
Keep dinner easy with more one pot recipes like one pot beefy enchilada rice, one pot beefaroni, and one pot spaghetti pie!
Why does it need to rest?
The macaroni finishes cooking while the covered pot rests for 10 minutes. This keeps the macaroni from becoming mushy while also allowing it to soak up more of the chili flavor. After that, the cheese can be stirred into a rich, creamy base instead of a thin, soupy sauce.
How to Make One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese
- Cook the ground beef and onions. Cook and crumble the beef and onion in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven until browned, and the onion is softened.
- Add garlic. Drain any excess grease, then stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Make it flavorful. Stir in the beef broth, chili beans, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Boil and add macaroni. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir in the macaroni, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer. Simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is slightly tender but not cooked through.
- Let it sit off the heat. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a lid, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Add cheese. Stir in both of the cheeses, a handful at a time, until melted. Sprinkle the top with more cheese, then cover the pot again for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Storing and Reheating
Let the chili mac cool off before storing leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When reheating, add a splash of broth, because the macaroni will continue absorbing sauce in the refrigerator.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef – Lean ground beef will yield less fat than others. Ground turkey also works if preferred.
- Onion – Yellow or white are both fine.
- Garlic – We’re also using garlic powder, so don’t go overboard with how much you use!
- Beef Broth – Low-sodium broth is best, so you can better control how salty the chili mac ends up.
- Chili Beans – Undrained! This is where a lot of that classic chili flavor comes from.
- Tomato Sauce – This really can’t be swapped with any other ingredient.
- Worcestershire Sauce – A little goes a long way.
- Hot Sauce – Use your favorite brand, and as much as you’d like.
- Seasonings – Chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper will create the very best flavor.
- Elbow Macaroni – Shells also work!
- Cheddar Cheese – Make sure to shred it yourself! It may take a little extra time, but the result will be cheese that melts perfectly into a thick, luscious sauce that coats every bite.
- Monterey Jack Cheese – Reserve some for topping.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Lean ground beef
- 1 Small onion diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic minced
- 4 Cups Beef broth
- 1 15.5oz Can Chili beans undrained
- 1 15oz Can Tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 tsp Hot sauce or to taste
- 2 Tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1 16oz Package Elbow macaroni
- 2 Cups Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 Cup Shredded Monterey Jack cheese plus more for topping
Instructions
- Cook and crumble the beef and onion in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven until browned, and the onion is softened.
- Drain any excess grease, then stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Stir in the beef broth, chili beans, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stir in the macaroni, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is slightly tender but not cooked through.
- Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a lid, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Stir in both of the cheeses, a handful at a time, until melted.
- Sprinkle the top with more cheese, then cover the pot again for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve with freshly minced parsley or sliced green onions for garnish if desired.
Notes
This one pot chili mac and cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
