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My brothers liked my mother’s chili better on Saturday than on Friday, and it took me years to understand why. Friday was chili night: ground beef, onions, peppers and beans simmered thick and dark in the big pot, made big on purpose. Saturday she set that same pot back on the stove, loosened what was left with broth and tomatoes, and poured dry elbow macaroni right into the chili. No second pot and no draining. The macaroni cooked in the chili and drank up all its flavor, and a handful of sharp cheddar melted over the top under the lid. They ate it out of the biggest bowls in the house with cornbread and cold milk.
This recipe makes chili mac from the start, so you do not need leftovers. The one thing that decides whether it turns out glossy and spoonable or thick as cement is the liquid. Dry macaroni drinks as it cooks, so the chili has to be looser than you would ever serve it on its own when the pasta goes in. Here is exactly how much liquid the macaroni needs to cook right in the chili, and how to tell when to stop.
Why this chili mac works
- One pot. The macaroni cooks in the chili, so its starch thickens the sauce and every piece tastes of chili, not of plain water.
- Enough liquid. For every cup of dry elbow macaroni, the pot needs about 1 1/4 cups of extra broth. Too little and the pasta stays hard; too much and it turns soupy.
- Browned beef. Beef browned hard before anything else goes in gives the chili its deep flavor.
- Spices bloomed in the fat. Chili powder and cumin stirred into the hot beef for a minute taste richer than spices added to liquid.
- Cheese off the heat. Scattered over the top with the lid on, the cheddar melts smooth instead of turning greasy.
Ingredients
Serves 6. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets. Made start to finish in one pot.
For the chili
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (680g)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with their juice (425g)
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce (425g)
- 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed (425g)
For the macaroni
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth (600ml)
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni (225g)
To finish
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (170g)
- Sliced green onions, to serve
Use small elbow macaroni; bigger shapes need more liquid and time. Shred the cheddar from a block, it melts smoother than bagged.
How to make chili mac
- Set a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until well browned and no pink remains, about 8 minutes. Spoon off most of the fat.
- Add the onion and green pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and kidney beans. Bring to a simmer, cover partly and cook on low for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. This is your chili.
- Pour in the beef broth and bring the pot back to a steady simmer over medium heat. The chili will look thin; that is right.
- Stir in the dry macaroni. Cook uncovered, at a lively simmer, stirring every couple of minutes and scraping the bottom, for 10 to 13 minutes, until the macaroni is tender and the sauce has thickened and turned glossy.
- If the pot gets thick before the pasta is tender, add broth or water a few spoonfuls at a time. If it is still loose when the pasta is done, simmer 2 more minutes; it thickens more as it rests.
- Taste for salt. Turn off the heat, scatter the cheddar over the top, put the lid on and leave it for 5 minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Serve hot in big bowls with green onions on top and cornbread on the side.
Tips that make the difference
- Stir often once the macaroni goes in. Pasta settles on the bottom of a thick pot, and that is where chili scorches.
- Keep a little warm broth nearby. Pasta brands drink differently, and a splash fixes a pot that tightens too soon.
- Use a wide pot rather than a tall one, so the macaroni cooks evenly.
- Made from leftover chili: for every 4 cups of chili, add 1 1/4 cups broth and 1 cup dry macaroni.
Variations
- Mild. Use 1 tablespoon chili powder for small children and pass hot sauce at the table.
- No beans. Leave out the beans and add a second can of diced tomatoes.
- Cheesy all through. Stir half the cheese into the pot and melt the rest on top.
- Baked. Spoon the finished chili mac into a baking dish, cover with cheese and bake at 375 degrees until bubbling and browned.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The macaroni keeps drinking, so add a splash of broth or water when you reheat.
Reheat on the stove over low heat, stirring, or in the microwave in short bursts.
Chili mac freezes for up to 3 months, though the macaroni softens a little. The chili alone freezes best; add fresh macaroni when you reheat it.
Frequently asked questions
How much liquid does macaroni need to cook in chili?
About 1 1/4 cups of broth for every cup of dry elbow macaroni, added to the chili before the pasta goes in. Keep a little extra broth on hand and add it a spoonful at a time if the pot tightens before the pasta is tender.
Can I cook the macaroni separately?
Yes, but it will not taste the same. Pasta cooked in the chili absorbs its flavor and its starch thickens the sauce.
Why is my chili mac dry?
The macaroni drank the liquid. Add broth or water a few spoonfuls at a time and stir; it loosens right away.
Can I use leftover chili?
Yes, that is how it started. Bring the chili to a simmer, add 1 1/4 cups broth and 1 cup dry macaroni for every 4 cups of chili, and cook as written.
Make the pot big on Friday, or make it all at once. Either way, someone in your house will decide they like the macaroni night better.
One-Pot Chili Mac (Macaroni Cooked Right in the Chili)
Homemade one-pot chili mac: ground beef chili with kidney beans, tomatoes and spices, elbow macaroni cooked right in the chili with broth, finished with melted sharp cheddar. Ready in about 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can
- 1 can
- 1 can
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Sliced green onions, to serve
Instructions
- Set a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until well browned and no pink remains, about 8 minutes. Spoon off most of the fat.
- Add the onion and green pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and kidney beans. Bring to a simmer, cover partly and cook on low for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. This is your chili.
- Pour in the beef broth and bring the pot back to a steady simmer over medium heat. The chili will look thin; that is right.
- Stir in the dry macaroni. Cook uncovered, at a lively simmer, stirring every couple of minutes and scraping the bottom, for 10 to 13 minutes, until the macaroni is tender and the sauce has thickened and turned glossy.
- If the pot gets thick before the pasta is tender, add broth or water a few spoonfuls at a time. If it is still loose when the pasta is done, simmer 2 more minutes; it thickens more as it rests.
- Taste for salt. Turn off the heat, scatter the cheddar over the top, put the lid on and leave it for 5 minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Serve hot in big bowls with green onions on top and cornbread on the side.
