One Pot Chili Mac

$9.79 recipe / $1.63 serving
by Beth Moncel
4.81 from 134 votes
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So you grew up on Hamburger Helper, but now you’re an adult and have a more ✨refined✨ palate (read: sarcasm). Well, this One Pot Chili Mac recipe is your grown-up “I actually know how to cook now” substitute! And don’t worry, it’s almost just as easy as the boxed mix. Promise. It’s rich, hearty, cheesy, beefy comfort food pasta all cooked in one easy-to-clean pot. WIN!

Overhead view of a bowl full of chili mac, garnished with parsley.

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What Is Chili Mac?

Chili Mac is simply macaroni noodles drenched in a rich tomato-based meat sauce, seasoned with chili spices, and with plenty of creamy cheddar cheese melted in. Some recipes also include beans, but I’m going for more of a Hamburger Helper dupe with mine, so I went sans beans. And you might be thinking, “I call that Goulash in my house.” While Chili Mac is similar to American Goulash in that they both contain macaroni noodles and a tomato-based meat sauce, they differ in their seasonings and flavor profiles.

Ingredients for Chili Mac

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own homemade chili mac:

  • Onion and Garlic: The delicious meat sauce starts with onions and garlic sautéed in olive oil to give the beef plenty of flavor.
  • Ground Beef: Ground beef makes this dish super hearty and delicious, while still being quick and easy to make. Opt for 85 or 90% lean ground beef to avoid having to drain the fat from the pan.
  • Flour: A little flour cooked into the sauce helps thicken it up into a delicious gravy-like consistency.
  • Spices: A mix of spices are added to the sauce for maximum flavor, including chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and oregano.
  • Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce gives the sauce a tangy tomato flavor and adds to the chili flavor profile.
  • Beef Broth: Beef broth adds tons of flavor to this dish and enough salt to keep everything properly seasoned. If using a low-sodium broth, you may need to add a little salt at the end to taste to really help the flavors pop. We used Better Than Bouillon to make our beef broth for maximum flavor.
  • Macaroni: Macaroni noodles are an inexpensive and filling ingredient that helps stretch the cost of the beef and keep the entire recipe budget-friendly.
  • Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar cheese is stirred into the sauce and added on top of the noodles for extra cheesy flavor!

What Else Can I Add?

If you want to take your chili mac to the next level, try adding one or more of these ingredients:

  • Drained kidney or black beans
  • Frozen corn kernels
  • Sliced green onions
  • Pickled jalapeños
  • Diced tomatoes (or tomatoes with green chiles)
  • Chipotle chile powder

What to Serve with Chili Mac

Chili mac is a true meal in a bowl, but if you want to serve something on the side I’d go for something fresh and light like Cowboy Caviar, Sweet Corn Salsa, or even Cumin Lime Coleslaw.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

As with any pasta dish, the macaroni will continue to get softer as it absorbs moisture from the sauce, so if softer pasta is not tolerable to you, you may not enjoy the leftovers. That being said, I will gobble up these leftovers without a second thought and love making this Chili Mac for meal prep and even to stock my freezer. I simply refrigerate single-serving portions for up to five days or freeze for up to three months. Let frozen portions thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat using the microwave.

Close up overhead view of chili mac in the pan.
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One Pot Chili Mac

4.81 from 134 votes
This super filling comfort food classic, One Pot Chili Mac, is like the hamburger helper of your childhood but all grown up and 100% from scratch!
Author: Beth Moncel
Close up overhead view of a bowl of chili mac.
Servings 6 (1 cup each)
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
  • 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
  • 1 lb. ground beef ($5.99)
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.03)
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder ($0.30)
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
  • 8 oz. tomato sauce ($0.69)
  • 3 cups beef broth ($0.32)
  • 1/2 lb. uncooked macaroni (about 2 cups) ($0.50)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar ($1.17)
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Instructions 

  • Dice the yellow onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a large deep skillet or Dutch oven with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
  • Add the ground beef to the skillet and continue to stir and cook until the beef is cooked through. If using a higher fat content ground beef, you may want to drain off the excess fat at this point.
  • Add the flour, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and oregano to the skillet with the beef and onions. Continue to cook and stir for about two minutes, allowing the flour and spices to coat the bottom of the skillet, but not burn.
  • Add the tomato sauce and beef broth to the skillet and stir well to combine, making sure to scrape and dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.
  • Add the uncooked macaroni and stir to combine. Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the broth to come up to a full boil. Once boiling, give the pasta a quick stir to loosen any that is stuck to the bottom, turn the heat down to medium-low, and place the lid back on top.
  • Allow the macaroni to simmer, stirring every few minutes and always replacing the lid, until the macaroni is tender and the broth has reduced to a rich red gravy (about 10 minutes).
  • Stir half of the shredded cheese into the sauce until melted, and sprinkle the remainder on top. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat off, and allow the residual heat to melt the cheese on top. Serve hot and enjoy!

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Equipment

  • Deep Stainless Steel Skillet

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 25gFat: 25gSodium: 825mgFiber: 3g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
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Close up of chili mac on the fork held over a bowl.

How to Make Chili Mac – Step by Step Photos

Sautéed onion and garlic in a deep skillet.

Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add the onion and garlic to a large deep skillet or Dutch oven with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).

Flour and spices added to browned ground beef in the skillet.

Add one pound of ground beef to the skillet and continue to stir and cook until the beef is fully browned. If you’re using a higher fat content beef, drain the excess fat out of the pan. Next, add 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon of chili powder, ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of dried oregano.

Flour and spices cooked into ground beef.

Continue to stir and cook the flour and spices into the beef for about two minutes, allowing it to coat the bottom of the skillet, but not burn.

Tomato sauce added to the skillet and beef broth being poured into the side.

Add one 8oz. can of tomato sauce and three cups of beef broth to the skillet. Stir well until everything is evenly combined, making sure to scrape and dissolve all of the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.

Macaroni being poured into the skillet.

Add ½ pound (about 2 cups) of uncooked macaroni to the skillet and stir to combine. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a boil. Once boiling, give everything a quick stir to loosen any macaroni from the bottom of the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, and place the lid back on top.

Cooked macaroni in the skillet.

Let the macaroni simmer in the broth, stirring every few minutes or so and always placing the lid back on top, until the macaroni is tender and the broth has reduced to a saucy red gravy (about 10 minutes).

Cheddar cheese added to the skillet.

Add ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the chili mac and stir it into the sauce until melted.

Melted cheese on top of the chili mac, garnished with chopped parsley.

Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese on top. Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat off. Let the residual heat melt the cheese, then serve. You can garnish with chopped cilantro or sliced green onions, if desired.

Side view of chili mac being scooped out of the skillet

So cheesy, beefy, and delicious!!

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  1. I accidentally combined this with your vegetarian version, and added two cups of black and pinto beans and some corn. It was delicious! Hamburger Helper ain’t got nothing on Budget Bytes.

  2. I’d like to point out having made this several times that it’s a great recipe to use whole wheat pasta, y’know, to “health” it up a bit. I’m not a huge fan of ww pasta, but the cheesy tomato sauce, (we like it loose), is so good, it’s one of the few recipes that hides the unfortunate texture that bugs me about ww. *tips for ww pasta-haters!* Cheers.

  3. I made this tonight. I cheated and used a packet of chili seasoning, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I doubled the batch, and used large elbow macaroni. For some reason, after 15 minutes, the macaroni wasn’t quite cooked, so I cooked about 5 minutes longer. Now, it’s SO thick. I tried adding more water, but it still has a really thick starchy taste. Can you think of what I may have done wrong? The flavor is great, but just can’t get over the starchy-ness. Maybe omit the flour next time?

  4. Yummy! I made a double batch with one pound of hamburger and one pound of Italian sausage. I also added a diced green pepper and a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies. I also used rotini pasta instead of macaroni. We LOVED it. So delicious. Thanks for the recipe!

  5. Very good recipe, I added diced green pepper and a can of diced petite tomatoes. It made a huge pot and I definitely will make it again

  6. Whenever I run out of ideas aboout what to make for dinner I can count on this recipe. It’s so simple and I almost always have the ingredients. Its my favorite recipe from this site!

  7. Can you freeze this recipe, would like to freeze it in small portion for school lunches!

  8. This recipe is so easy and so delicious. I am so happy I made it and the leftovers are just as good if not better. There is no need to make the boxed meal when this is supper easy and taste way better. Thank you for another GREAT recipe. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.

  9. You guys must starve in your household! I find the amount of servings on most of these recipes to be incredibly liberal. I got about 4 servings out of these proportions, personally.

  10. This recipe was good, but what made me happy was that my kids (18 months and 3) absolutely LOVED it! Will make again.

  11. The recipe for the Chili Cheese Beef n” Macaroni puts Hamburger Helper to shame!! It’s absolutely delicious!!! I’m looking forward to having leftovers for the next several days. Thank you, Beth!!! :-)

    1. Looks like you cooked a lot of my recipes this weekend, LaTrice! :D :D Glad they were a hit!

  12. Oh my, I haven’t make this recipe in a while, today I didn’t have beef broth, so I used plain water, it still came out delicious and it is so fast to make. My 2yo left his plate empty, that alone its a win win for me.
    Thank you.

  13. I really want to make thia but I am having trouble understanding the measurements. Isn’t 1 (US) cup = 8oz and 2 (US) cups = 16oz = 1 pound?

    1. 1 cup is equal to 8 FLUID ounces. It gets confusing because we also have WEIGHT ounces. Liquids are measured in fluid ounces, where as solids like cheese are measured in weight ounces. :/ In the US, shredded cheese is most often sold in 8oz. bags, which indicate 2 cups on the front of the package, so I try to put both measurements. Sorry for the confusion! :)

  14. I love this recipe. I’ve made it a few times as per the instructions and it’s always quick and delicious comfort food. Most recently I made it with a few substitutions, I used beef sausage which I diced into small bits using the food processor and smoked gouda. It was amazing, I love how Beth’s recipes have a lot of versatility to them.

  15. The family loved it! I used beef broth and added a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Served it with some tortilla chips on the side and a salad.