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Home / Recipes
30 minutes
4.4 from 287 votes
100 Comments

One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese

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  • 3972
by: Joanna Cismaru
01.16.21

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This One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese is two great comfort foods all in one! Delicious and hearty, quick and comforting, perfect dinner for back to school and ready in under 30 minutes.

chili mac and cheese in a large pot with a spoon

This dish is perfect in many ways. It’s made in one pot, it’s done in 30 minutes which makes it the perfect for back to school dinners, and most importantly it’s the epitome of comfort food. It’s one of those dishes that you wish to keep eating once you start. It really is a one pot wonder!

I love dishes like these because they’re great pantry cleaners, so if you don’t have some of the ingredients I used today have fun with the substitutes! It’s such a sneaky way to incorporate some veggies into your dinner, and since it’s so good it’s one of those dishes you won’t be able to stop eating once you start.

Ingredient Notes

  • Olive Oil – My oil of choice for browning meats.
  • Ground beef – I use extra lean, the excess fat would be unnecessary in this recipe otherwise.
  • Onion – White or yellow is fine, something that can hold up to cooking.
  • Garlic – I used fresh but minced is fine if you prefer, remember 1 1/2 teaspoon is equal to one fresh clove.
  • Spices – For this recipe I used cumin, cayenne, chili powder, black pepper, and salt. A good quality chili powder will make all the difference in the world!
  • Beans – I used black beans and kidney beans, both out of the can and drained and rinsed. If using dried beans, please refer to this guide for black beans and this guide for kidney beans to ensure your beans are suitable to eat.
  • Diced Tomatoes – The perfect way to use up that can you’ve had sitting around a while. This will add brightness and acidity to the dish.
  • Chicken broth – Low sodium is preferred, if you are soaking your beans in a salt mixture I recommend no sodium broth.
  • Elbow pasta – This can be replaced with any shape pasta.
  • Parsley – My favorite fresh garnish for both color and flavor!
  • Cheese – I used cheddar cheese for this one pot chili mac and cheese recipe but any sharp cheese will do. A blend of cheddar and mozzarella, or Monterrey jack would work perfectly well.
chili mac and cheese in a plate with a fork inside on fabric

How To Make One Pot Chili Mac And Cheese

  1. Prepare the beef: In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high and add your beef. Cook till you no longer see pink. If using a fattier ground beef drain the fat at this stage. Stir in the onion and allow to cook this translucent, add the garlic and cook till fragrant.
  2. Incorporate the chili: Add the spices and stir, then follow with your canned ingredients, broth, and uncooked pasta. Stir everything together once more and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cover to allow the chili mac and cheese to cook, usually between 9 – 12 minutes. Stir in one cup of cheese and then sprinkle the remainder over top, cover to allow the cheese to melt.
  3. Garnish: Once the cheese is melted your dish is ready! Garnish with parsley and serve up hot.
chili mac and cheese in a large pot with parsley in the background

Leftovers

This recipe will also make quite a bit of chili mac and cheese, so there will be plenty of leftovers to take to work the next day. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 4 days. If freezing allow the dish to fully cool in a shallow container before placing in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Others Ways To Make Chili Mac And Cheese

Slow cooker

Cook the beef, onions, and garlic according to the directions above. Then combine all ingredients in the slow cooker, save for the cheese, and cook on high for 2 hours. Check if the pasta has cooked to al dente perfection every 20 minutes after, don’t worry sometimes it can take up to an additional hour. Follow the above directions in regards to cheese and garnish.

Pressure cooker

Cook the beef, onions, and garlic according to the directions above in the instant pot on saute. Add the remaining ingredients, save for the cheese, and cook on the manual mode at high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow the pressure and heat to release naturally before removing the lid. Stir in half the cheese, saving the rest for garnish along side the parsley and serve!

a fork holding a bite of chili mac and cheese over a bowl full of chili mac and cheese

More great recipes to try:

  • World’s Best Chili
  • Healthier Beef Chili
  • Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
  • Pork Chili Verde
  • Crockpot White Chicken Chili
  • Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

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top shot of a ladle taking a scoop of chili mac and cheese from the pot

One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese

4.4 from 287 votes
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 8
Print Pin Rate
This One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese combines two great comfort foods all in one! Delicious and hearty, quick and comforting, perfect dinner for back to school and ready in under 30 minutes.

Equipment

  • 6 Quart Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef extra lean
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin ground
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 26 ounce diced tomatoes (1 can)
  • 4 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • 10 ounce elbow pasta uncooked
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • 2 tablespoon parsley chopped
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • In a large sauce pan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Since I’m using extra lean ground beef there’s no need to drain the fat, but if you’re using fatter ground beef, drain whatever fat there is. 
  • Stir in the onion and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes or until the onion softens and becomes translucent and the garlic is aromatic.
  • Add the cayenne pepper, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and stir. Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, chicken broth and elbow pasta. Stir everything together and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 9 to 12 minutes or until the elbow macaroni is cooked.
  • Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese then sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top. Cover the pot for about 1 minute just until the cheese melts. 
  • Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. Pasta: The elbow macaroni can be replaced with any shape pasta.
  2. Leftover: Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 4 days. If freezing allow the dish to fully cool in a shallow container before placing in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  3. Nutrition: Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1servingCalories: 496kcal (25%)Carbohydrates: 44g (15%)Protein: 26g (52%)Fat: 23g (35%)Saturated Fat: 10g (63%)Cholesterol: 69mg (23%)Sodium: 964mg (42%)Potassium: 753mg (22%)Fiber: 6g (25%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 790IU (16%)Vitamin C: 20mg (24%)Calcium: 282mg (28%)Iron: 4.4mg (24%)
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:American
Keyword:chili mac and cheese, one pot chili mac and cheese, one pot recipes
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
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Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Kim Wilkinson says

    November 6, 2021 at 3:30 pm

    5 stars
    We love this recipie but I made a few changes so it’s not soupy and perfect. I double the seasonings and add paprika. I use two full cans of the diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) undrained, and all 4 cups of broth (beef, not chicken). I add 16 oz of elbow macaroni and then 3-4 cups of cheese mixed in at the end. I also simmer for 15-16 minutes. Perfect every time.

    Reply
  2. Kelli Brown says

    June 8, 2021 at 1:55 pm

    5 stars
    My kids and husband loved it!!! I didn’t have black beans and so I used
    pinto beans instead. Thanks so much for sharing Jo. I have a new favorite with the kids now.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      June 8, 2021 at 1:58 pm

      That’s awesome! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Melissa Hartley says

    January 30, 2021 at 7:22 pm

    Could I add a packet of dry ranch seasoning to this along with the others?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      February 1, 2021 at 10:13 am

      You can add whatever you like to make it your own!

      Reply
  4. Jenifer P says

    December 27, 2020 at 9:42 pm

    Just wondering why, when doing a beef dish, you used chicken stock instead of beef stock?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      December 28, 2020 at 10:09 am

      No reason, other than that’s what I had on hand, but you can use whatever you wish.

      Reply
  5. Catherine Cassells says

    December 11, 2020 at 4:13 pm

    5 stars
    family loves this recipe! third or fourth time i’m making it 🙂

    Reply
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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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