Chili Mac and Cheese Recipe (30 Minute Dinner) (2024)

Yesterday I took the kids to their swimming lessons, and realized within .5 seconds of sitting down that I had left my phone at home. I hadn’t brought a book or anything to do, so I knew I was in for a long haul of actually watching my kid’s swim lessons (hey don’t judge, we are on week SIX of swim lessons this summer, how dedicated can you expect me to be??)

I knew I was in for half an hour of coming up with genius ideas to pass the time…that all involve my phone. Do you do this? Here are all the things I thought for a millisecond I could do, before remembering that I was phone-less:

• Text Eric about how hilarious it was when baby Valentine stripped completely naked and brought me her “swim soup” when she saw the other kids getting dressed for their lessons, and then cried real tears when I told her she wasn’t getting in the pool. (when we arrived, she threw rocks in the pool to vent her frustration.)
• Instagram
• Check the Find my Friends app to see how Eric’s commute was going
• Check email
• Do research on just how inappropriate it would be to name our next kid the new name I’m currently obsessed with, but might actually be a stupid name to give a kid (no, I’m not pregnant, and yes, we already named a kid Valentine, so how much worse could it be?)
• Text reminders to friends about Taco Tuesday this week
• Call my mom
• Duolingo, a language app (I’m trying to learn French…kinda.)
• Read scriptures

This was all just in a half hour. Do you ever have thoughts like these, over and over again, when you forget your phone?? It’s pretty pathetic how attached I am!

Then after I got home I used my phone to take a picture of the list I had made so that I didn’t have to worry about losing it. FULL CIRCLE GUYS.

Have you ever made Chili Mac? It’s one of those easy ground beef recipes that every cook needs in the arsenal. It’s just a classic. I don’t know why it feels so classic to me, since my mom never made it growing up. (Speaking of classic. I saw a Facebook video the other day where people were talking about how it’s a thing to eat chili paired with cinnamon rolls. I showed it to Eric so that he could be appropriately disgusted, but instead he said, “Oh yeah, chili and cinnamon rolls every Friday for lunch at school growing up.” Whaaaa???)

Well I’ll take some cornbread with my Chili Mac, hold the cinnamon rolls please.

Why you will love this One Pot Chili Mac recipe

It’s impossible for me to have too many “quick and easy dinner” recipes. Seriously! Rare is the day when I think “you know what I need right now? A dinner plan that requires a trip to the grocery store and three hours of time in the kitchen.”

No way guys. We’re getting it done in 30 minutes, and we’re just pulling out stuff from the pantry (this is 100% true if you have an unopened package of Velveeta in your pantry as well). No shopping trips required. When we’re done, we’ve got a dinner that is:

• Kid pleasing
• Easy on the budget
• Major comfort food
• Protein packed (beef AND beans!)
• Enough food for leftovers

This is “add to the regular rotation” level stuff for me. It’s not often a dinner checks allllll the boxes.

Chili Mac and Cheese ingredients

Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!

For the chili mac:

To garnish:

Chili Mac substitutions and additions

Chili mac is one of those dishes that’s made a little differently by everyone’s mom or grandma or next-door neighbor Sue. Make it your own tonight! Here are some suggestions to get you started.

• Not into Velveeta? Use sharp cheddar (or another melty cheese like monterey jack or pepper jack instead).
• If you’re vegetarian, you can omit the ground beef, substituting an additional can of beans of your choice. Instead of beef broth, I recommend Better than Bouillon vegetable base (it has a super rich flavor, so good!).
• Can’t find Rotel? You can substitute a 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes and a 4 oz. can of diced green chilis. It will be a little more than the Rotel, but still a great substitute.
• You can substitute canned white beans (like great northern beans or cannellini beans) for the kidney beans. Honestly black beans or pinto beans would work too!
• The garnishes are what really makes chili mac a craveable meal. I love crushing tortilla chips on top and adding shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped onion, and sliced avocado. Add what sounds good to you!

How to make Chili Mac and Cheese

Do you see all that char? It’s a beautiful thing. It’s just from using fire roasted Rotel, which I highly recommend.

Don’t go hating on my Velveeta now. It makes for the CREAMIEST, CHEESIEST soups ever. I wouldn’t put it on a sandwich (okay well. Maybe a grilled cheese.) But I’m telling you, Velveeta in soup is just lovely. If it’s not your thing, you can totally use shredded cheddar instead. I’ve tried it both ways and they are both delicious! (whichever one you use, you should definitely top each serving with freshly shredded cheddar.)

What to serve with this Chili Mac Recipe

This Chili Mac would be great served with Reesy Rolls (One Hour Yeast Rolls). Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits would be great too! An easy to put together Spinach Salad would be delicious too, and would add something fresh.

PS I recently posted this recipe for Quick and Easy Chili! It’s done in 45 minutes. It’s super good and has a secret ingredient that totally surprised me!

How to store Homemade Chili Mac

Chili mac can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. After that, the texture of the pasta will begin to deteriorate. If you like, you can freeze it (well sealed) for up to 3 months. It makes a great take-in meal for new parents or a friend who’s had surgery!

One Pot Chili Mac FAQs