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One-Pot Chili Mac

Ground beef, elbow macaroni, tomato, chili powder, and cumin cook in one pot, then cheddar goes in off the heat. It is a fall dinner that uses a short pasta so the sauce stays thick enough to cling.

Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Servings
6
Difficulty
Easy
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Pot of elbow macaroni in a tomato-chili beef sauce topped with melted cheddar.

Why you’ll love it

  • Elbows cook in the tomato liquid, so the starch thickens the chili without a roux.
  • Chili powder and cumin go in with the onion and bloom in the fat before any liquid is added.
  • Cheddar is stirred in off the heat so it melts smoothly instead of splitting.
  • A short pasta is easier to stir in a deep pot than long noodles, which clump.

Ingredients

Servings6

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the beef and onion. Cook, breaking the beef apart, until the beef is browned and no longer pink, about 6 minutes. It should reach 160°F.

  2. 2

    Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook 1 minute, until the spices smell fragrant.

  3. 3

    Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water. Bring to a simmer and scrape the bottom of the pot.

  4. 4

    Stir in the macaroni. Cover partway and simmer, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes.

  5. 5

    If the pot looks dry before the pasta is tender, add 1/4 cup water and keep simmering.

  6. 6

    Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the cheddar until it melts. Rest 3 minutes, then serve.

Pro tips

  • Stir often once the pasta is in. Elbows on the bottom scorch if the pot sits still.
  • Taste before you add more salt. Chili powder blends are already salty, and so is the cheddar.
  • A squeeze of lime at the table brightens the tomato. It is not required for the pot to be done.

Easy substitutions

ground beef
ground turkey, still cooked to 165°F
cheddar
Colby Jack or a Mexican cheese blend
elbow macaroni
ditalini or small shells in the same weight

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days.

Reheating

Warm in a saucepan over medium-low with a splash of water, stirring, until hot, about 6 minutes. The pasta will have soaked up sauce, so the splash matters.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
430
Protein
28 g
Carbs
38 g
Fat
18 g
Fiber
4 g

Budget friendly · One Pan, Stovetop

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients