Description

This hearty Chili Mac is a comforting one-pot meal combining seasoned ground beef chili with creamy, cheesy macaroni. It blends robust flavors of chili seasoning, tomatoes, and kidney beans with a rich homemade cheese sauce, then is baked to perfection with a cheesy topping. A perfect easy dish for game day or family dinners that offers a satisfying balance of protein, carbs, and creamy goodness.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chili

1 lbs. ground beef (80% lean)
1 small onion (diced)
½ cup bell pepper (diced)
3 cloves garlic (diced)
1.25 oz. packet chili seasoning mix (or homemade seasoning)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 oz. tomato sauce
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)
½ cup chicken broth (or beef broth)
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained

For the Mac and Cheese

2 cups macaroni (uncooked)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon mustard powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon hot sauce
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese (shredded), plus extra 1 ½ cups for topping

To Garnish

Fresh Parsley

Instructions

Make the Chili: Cook and crumble the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the diced onions and cook for 5 more minutes until the beef is browned and onions softened. Drain excess grease.
Add Vegetables and Seasoning: Stir in diced bell peppers and garlic; cook for about 4 minutes until peppers soften. Add chili seasoning and tomato paste, stirring to combine and cook for 1 minute.
Simmer Chili: Add tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and let simmer to thicken and concentrate flavors. Add drained kidney beans in the last 10 minutes of simmering.
Prepare Macaroni: Preheat oven to 400°F. Boil salted water and cook macaroni according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
Make Cheese Sauce: In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat until it foams. Whisk in the flour and cook continuously for 2 minutes to make a roux. Gradually add heavy cream, stirring continuously, then add milk gradually while stirring. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, add hot sauce, mustard powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.
Add Cheese: Gradually sprinkle in shredded cheddar cheese, stirring continuously until the sauce is smooth and well combined.
Combine Macaroni and Cheese Sauce: Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to fully coat the pasta.
Combine Chili and Macaroni: Pour the prepared chili into the macaroni and cheese and gently stir with a silicone spatula to combine evenly. Adjust ratio to preference.
Bake: Transfer the combined chili mac to a baking dish if not already in an oven-safe pot. Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered at 400°F for 5 minutes or until the cheese topping is melted and bubbly.
Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve hot.

Notes

You can make your own chili seasoning by blending chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
To control spice level, adjust the amount of hot sauce or chili seasoning mix accordingly.
For a creamier cheese sauce, use full-fat dairy or substitute part of the milk with cream.
Leftover chili portion can be frozen separately for quick future meals.
Do not overcook macaroni as it will continue cooking in the cheese sauce and oven.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: chili mac, macaroni and cheese, ground beef chili, comfort food, baked pasta, cheesy chili pasta