Description
Chili Mac is a comforting, hearty casserole combining flavorful chili made with ground beef, beans, and tomatoes with creamy homemade macaroni and cheese. This baked dish is perfect for a satisfying main course that blends cheesy richness with spicy warmth.
Ingredients
Scale
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 chili seasoning: 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 1 pinch cayenne)
- 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
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 pepper
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
For Baking
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Make the Chili: Cook and crumble the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add diced onions and cook for 5 more minutes until beef is browned and onions softened. Drain excess grease.
- Sauté Vegetables and Add Seasoning: Add diced bell peppers and garlic to the pot, cooking until peppers soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in chili seasoning mix and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute to combine flavors.
- Add Liquids and Simmer: Pour in tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer partially covered. Let simmer while preparing mac and cheese, adding drained kidney beans in the last 10 minutes of simmering to heat through.
- Preheat Oven and Boil Pasta: Preheat oven to 400° F. Begin boiling salted water for macaroni. Cook macaroni according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare Cheese Sauce: Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until foaming. Whisk in flour and continuously stir for 2 minutes to make a roux. Slowly add heavy cream in splashes while stirring, followed by milk in the same manner. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Stir in hot sauce, mustard powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add Cheese to Sauce: Gradually sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese into the sauce while stirring continuously until the sauce is smooth and fully combined.
- Combine Macaroni with Cheese Sauce: Add drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir gently to coat the noodles evenly.
- Combine Chili and Macaroni: Add the prepared chili to the macaroni and cheese mixture, gently folding with a silicone spatula to combine. Adjust ratio of chili to mac and cheese according to preference.
- Top and Bake: Transfer combined chili mac mixture into a baking dish if not already in oven-safe pot. Sprinkle the top evenly with 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered at 400° F for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve warm.
Notes
- Shred cheese from a block for best melt and flavor; Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese is recommended.
- Monterey Jack cheese can be added for a creamier texture and mild flavor.
- Beans can be omitted or substituted with drained, rinsed black beans if preferred.
- Hot sauce is a subtle flavor enhancer and won’t make the mac and cheese spicy; Texas Pete is recommended, with Frank’s hot sauce as an alternative.
- Cornbread or chili cornbread casserole pairs excellently as a side dish with this recipe.
- This recipe can be made a day or two ahead; chili can be refrigerated separately and reheated on stovetop before combining.
- Assemble entire dish without cheese topping ahead of time; store in fridge and bake the cheese topping just before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage; avoid overcooking pasta to prevent mushiness on reheating.
- Estimated nutritional info is per 1 cup serving, with approximately 18 cups total yield.
