I stole this recipe for Chili Mac from thecozycook.com. This recipe combines chili and macaroni and cheese into one dish. First the chili is made by cooking ground beef, onions, peppers and garlic. Then seasonings, tomato sauce, chicken broth and diced tomatoes are cooked until thickened. Kidney beans added while the macaroni and cheese is started. A homemade cheese sauce with a roux and cheddar cheese. Cooked noodles are added to the sauce, then everything is added to the chili. Next the chili mac is topped with cheese and baked until melted. This recipe makes enough for a crowd and can easily be doubled.
The ingredients for this recipe are: 1 lb ground beef, 1 onion, ½ cup bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1.25 oz packet chili seasoning, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 8 oz tomato sauce, 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes, ½ cup chicken broth, 15 oz can kidney beans, 2 cups macaroni, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour, ½ cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk, ½ tsp mustard powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ½ tsp hot sauce and 3 cups cheddar cheese
Cook and crumble the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the beef is brown and the onions are softened.
Then add the bell peppers and garlic and cook until the peppers are softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the chili seasoning and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
Next add the tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce so that it’s bubbling gently. Cover partially and let it simmer, when thickened add the drained kidney beans.
Melt the butter in a 4 ½ qt Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat and wait for it to begin to foam slightly. Whisk in the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes.
Then add the heavy cream in splashes, stirring continuously. Add the milk in the same manner. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Next add the hot sauce and seasonings and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low. Gradually sprinkle in 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese.
Stir the sauce continuously, until well-combined and smooth. Then add the cooked noodles.
Next add the chili to the macaroni and gently stir to combine.
Top with 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
If you liked this recipe for Chili Mac then you can also try Slow Cooker Steak House Chili, Fiesta Chowder, Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup or South of the Border Chicken Chili.
Chili Mac
Ingredients
Chili
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- ½ cup bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1.25 oz packet chili seasoning
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes undrained
- ½ cup chicken broth can sub beef broth
- 15 oz can kidney beans drained
Mac and Cheese
- 2 cups macaroni uncooked
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp hot sauce
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
Baking
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
Chili
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Cook and crumble the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the beef is brown and the onions are softened. Drain grease.
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Add the bell peppers and garlic and cook until the peppers are softened, about 4 minutes. Add the chili seasoning and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
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Add the tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce so that it’s bubbling gently. Cover partially and let it simmer while you prepare the macaroni and cheese. The longer it simmer, the thicker and more concentrated it will get. Add the drained kidney beans during the last 10 minutes.
Mac and cheese
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Preheat oven to 400 F.
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Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Make the cheese sauce while the water is boiling. Once the water is boiling, cook pasta according to package and drain.
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Melt the butter in a 4 ½ qt Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat and wait for it to begin to foam slightly. Whisk in the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes.
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Add the heavy cream in splashes, stirring continuously. Add the milk in the same manner.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the hot sauce and seasonings and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.
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Gradually sprinkle in shredded cheddar cheese, stirring continuously, until well-combined and smooth.
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Add the drained noodles and stir to combine.
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Add the chili to the macaroni and gently stir to combine.
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Top with 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley and serve.