It’s been really cold here (well, cold for me) and that makes me want comfort food. One dish that I absolutely loved in the past but haven’t had a chance to remake is my One Pot Chili Pasta from the SNAP Challenge in 2014. That pasta not only saved my life as far as filling me up on an extremely restricted budget, but it was SO GOOD. I was really excited to make it again this week, but I had already spent a large part of this weeks budget on pork for my Nam Sod, so I decided to transform the old One Pot Chili Pasta into a new Vegetarian Chili Mac and Cheese.
No Beef, More Beans
The new vegetarian version is very similar to the old One Pot Chili Pasta, but it has no beef (obvi), more beans, some diced tomatoes, and uses vegetable broth in place of the beef broth. How did it turn out? OMG still so good. Like, so good that I’ve been eating it for breakfast all this week because I’m so excited to eat it every day that I can’t even wait for lunch. There’s something about the thick, tangy sauce with the smoky chili powder and just a hint of cheddar that is just irresistible to me.
Meal Prep the Leftovers
This recipe makes a huge batch, like around 10 cups. I suggest dividing the pasta up into single portions right after cooking so you have it meal prepped for the next 4-5 days. If you know you can’t finish it all within 5 days, it can be frozen. Pasta does get a bit softer upon freezing and thawing/reheating, but for me that’s negligible for a dish that tastes so freaking good.
Can I Make this Vegan?
Yes, since there is only one ingredient in this recipe that is animal-based, it will be really easy to swap that out and make this recipe vegan. To replace the cheddar cheese you can either use a vegan cheddar substitute, like Daiya Cheddar Shreds, or add some nutritional yeast for a slightly cheesy flavor (it won’t be creamy, but you’ll get that cheesy umami goodness).
One Pot Cheesy Vegetarian Chili Mac
Servings 8 1.25 cups eachIngredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.31)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 2 Tbsp flour ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder* ($0.60)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.79)
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce ($0.88)
- 1 15oz. can kidney beans ($0.89)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($1.15)
- 1 15oz. can pinto beans ($1.49)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels ($0.44)
- 2 cups vegetable broth ($0.26)
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles ($0.50)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar ($1.25)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté the onion and garlic with olive oil in the bottom of a large pot (5 qt) over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are soft and transparent.
- Add the flour and chili powder to the sautéed onions and garlic. Continue to stir and sauté for about two minutes, or just until the flour and chili powder begin to coat the bottom of the pot.
- Drain and rinse the kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, all three beans, corn, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine and to dissolve any flour and chili powder off the bottom of the pot.
- Add the uncooked macaroni noodles and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium high, and let the pot come up to a boil. Stir every other minute or so to loosen the noodles from the bottom of the pot as it heats up.
- When the pot reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, or just above low, so it continues to gently simmer. Let the pot gently simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the liquid is thick and saucy. Stir frequently as it simmers to make sure the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the pasta is tender, add the shredded cheddar and stir it in until melted. Serve hot.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!More Mac and Cheese Recipes:
- Miracle Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Pesto Mac with Spinach
- Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
- Green Chile Mac and Cheese
How to Make Vegetarian Chili Mac and Cheese – Step by Step Photos
Begin by dicing one yellow onion and mincing two cloves of garlic. Sauté the onion and garlic with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent (about 3 minutes). Make sure you’re using about a 5 qt pot because this makes a large batch.
Add 2 Tbsp chili powder and 2 Tbsp flour. This is a mild chili powder, which is a blend of mild red chiles and other spices. Some brands may have some cayenne pepper (spicy) in the blend, so just be aware of what type you have and how much you’re adding. I use McCormick, which is 100% mild. If you have a mild chili powder and WANT spicy, you can add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
Continue to stir and sauté the flour and chili powder with the onions and garlic for about two minutes more, or until it begins to coat the bottom of the pot. This toasts the spices and flour and creates a roux, which helps thicken the sauce later.
Add one 15oz can diced tomatoes (not drained), one 15oz can each of kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans (all drained and rinsed), and one cup of frozen corn kernels.
Also add one 15oz can tomato sauce and two cups vegetable broth. Stir everything to combine and to dissolve any flour and chili powder that have stuck to the bottom of the pot (you should be able to feel when the bottom of the pot is smooth).
Finally, add 2 cups (or about 1/2 lb.) uncooked macaroni noodles and stir to combine with the rest of the ingredients. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium high, and let the pot come to a boil. Stir every couple of minutes while it’s heating to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom.
Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the liquid is thick and saucy. Make sure to keep stirring every couple of minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking while it is simmering.
The chili mac is pretty good at this stage, but it’s about to go to the next level…
Add one cup of shredded sharp cheddar. It’s important to use cheddar because cheddar melts into sauces very smoothly and does not get stringy the way other cheese, like mozzarella, would. It’s also important to get “sharp” cheddar because it’s tangier and more potent than mild or medium cheddar, which means you can use less and still get a good cheesy flavor in the whole pot.
When the cheddar stirs in it will melt into the thick sauce and turn it all creamy and delicious.
This stuff is serious business.
I can not say no to the Cheesy Vegetarian Chili Mac!
Can you??
Added 3 tsp cumin, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp paprika and it was perfect. I also noticed it started to get dry pretty quickly (maybe because I got jumbo noodles and they soaked up more liquid?) so I splashed some extra vegetable sauce when needed. It tasted great!
I was tempted to add an extra handful of cheese, but I’m glad I didn’t – the amount of cheese here is perfect to give it plenty of flavor and creaminess, but doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors.
I’ve never been a big chili fan, but I’m a total convert to Beth’s! Warm, savory, rich, and with just the right amount of heat to it. I’m glad this makes such a big batch (she’s not kidding about using a 5 qt. or larger pot), because this is going to be my go-to meal for the next few days, with enough left over to freeze as a gift to my future self. :)
I followed the recipe exactly (thank you SO much for the photos, they really help!) as written and it turned out alright. Great for what it is! I think to fit my taste, I will have to add more spice. Great starter recipe, I definitely recommend trying it as written before making modifications. I did substitute one can of beans to add a Beyond Beef patty I had in my freezer, plus to get more plant-based protein. Love your recipes!
This was pretty popular with my family, we like to eat meatless most days of the week. I needed to add salt, and my kids like sour cream in chili so that was on our table as well :)
I made a few adjustments and loved it! I omitted one of the can of beans and instead used half a bag of gardein meatless crumbles that I added at the same time as the chili powder and flour. I also added a tbsp of cumin. It came out great and it was quick and easy. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Hi I’m planning on making this soon, but I live in China and can’t find vegetable broth. Can I substitute with chicken broth? Thanks!
Yes you can use chicken broth and it’ll be okay. Just won’t be vegetarian :)
love it. as is. we call it chili crack. cant stop eating it!
I love this recipe and have made it a ton of times. I made some substitutions this time because of the quarantine. I swapped out the beans for kidney, cannellini and chickpeas. No corn and used medium shells instead of elbow macaroni. Still great!
I can’t seem to find the nutrition info/the macros?
We only recently brought on a Registered Dietician to our team. She’s working hard behind the scenes to update the entire recipe database, over 1500+ recipes, with nutritional information. She’s working her way from the newest recipes back and it takes some time to update them all. Stay tuned!
Absolutely loved this recipe! I fed it to friends and everyone has been begging for the recipe! Next time I’ll try adding more cheese and maybe some Mushrooms 😄
Way to spread the word with your deliciousness Tiffany!
I was just wondering about the nutrition facts for this.
Thanks for the request! We do get that request a lot, but unfortunately we don’t have a reliable source for the nutrition information. The calculators and databases that most bloggers and websites use to calculate the info can be extremely inaccurate, and for something that can so severely impact the health of people with health conditions, we just don’t feel comfortable publishing unreliable numbers. We prefer to leave it up to the reader to use the database or calculator they trust. I’m sorry and I wish accuracy were easier than shipping the food off to a lab for analysis!
I don’t like the texture of tomatoes – how could I make up the lost liquid? More tomato sauce and/or broth?
Yes, my first guess would be to replace it with tomato sauce, but it’s hard to say without testing it how that might affect the final texture.
Did you try this? I’m in the same boat as you
Hubby and I are the same. We just substitute the same amount of tomato sauce for the diced tomatoes, and it turns out great. Just keep an eye on your moisture levels because you might need to add some water or cook flour an extra minute, depending on how runny your sauce is.
Quick, easy, and a huge hit with the kids! Another great recipe. Thank you for all your efforts, Beth!!
Thank you Sylvia!
I know what you mean about not being able to stop eating this!
Made tonight, first attempt at cheesy veggie chili Mac & so glad I went with this recipe.
I’m big on spices so added 2 bell peppers, a fresh jalapeño, half a can of hatch chilis, paprika & cumin. Doubled the amount if garlic & reduced the amount of liquid. Skipped flour. The base recipe was a great framework, thank you!
Happy to hear it!
Terrific recipe. I made this yesterday evening after when I realized it was 5:00 pm and I hadn’t even thought about what to make for dinner. Luckily I had most of the exact ingredients called for in the recipe, and was able to easily substitute similar things that I had on hand. These are the recipes that I love: Fundamentally delicious and forgiving. I had all of the spices, beans, and corn. I used Better than Bullion Vegetable Base, (Beth, you got me hooked on that. So convenient!). Instead of macaroni shells I used leftover pasta shapes from other recipes. I thought the amount of cheese called for in the recipe (I used Colby Jack) was spot on. It was cheesy enough for us, and I wasn’t tempted to dump another hand full into my bowl at the table! ;)
I’d love to make this but add some plant-based “meat” for extra protein. I’m just stuck as to the best point in the recipe to add it? Sauteed with the garlic and onions? Any suggestions are appreciated!!
Hmm, I’m not sure. I guess it would depend on the brand of meat substitute you are using and what their suggested cooking instructions are.
Hi Jennifer! Did you try this with plant based meat?
I made it tonight w/ Quorn’s meatless crumbles in the instant pot and it was a great success!
Super tasty!! I would recommend adding 1 tbsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp onion powder, sautéed onions, pepper, and garlic. I also definitely would not cook the pasta with it because it will become mushy. I would definitely cook it separately and store leftovers separately.