Description
The ultimate comfort food, blending the hearty goodness of homemade chili with the creamy indulgence of macaroni and cheese. This quick, one-pot dinner delivers savory beef, tender pasta, and melted cheese with a bright Tex-Mex flair perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500g) lean ground beef
- 8 oz (250g) elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 28 oz (800g) crushed canned tomatoes, 14 oz (420g) can red kidney beans
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth, 2 cups shredded cheese (Cheddar/Monterey Jack)
- 1 medium onion, 1 red bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Spice Blend: 2 tsp paprika, 2 tsp cumin, 1.5 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp oregano, 1.25 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp pepper, 0.25-0.5 tsp cayenne
Instructions
Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté garlic and onion for 1 min. Add bell pepper and cook until onion is translucent.
Brown: Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon.
Simmer: Add crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, broth, uncooked macaroni, and the spice blend. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 12 mins until pasta is tender.
Cheese: Turn off heat. Stir in half the cheese until creamy. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, cover, and let sit for 2 mins to melt. Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
One-Pot Magic: Cooking the pasta directly in the broth and tomatoes allows the macaroni to absorb the spices ‘from the inside out’ while naturally thickening the sauce with pasta starch.
Liquid Control: If the sauce absorbs too quickly before the 12-minute mark, add 1/4 cup extra broth to maintain a creamy consistency.
Beef Choice: Using lean beef (90/10 or 93/7) is highly recommended so you don’t have to drain excess fat in the middle of the one-pot process.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop / One-Pot
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex / American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 920
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Unsaturated Fat: 11
- Trans Fat: 0.5
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 32
- Cholesterol: 85
Keywords: one pot chili mac, tex-mex macaroni and cheese, easy weeknight dinners, ground beef pasta recipes, homemade chili mac