One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese – two delicious comfort foods become one with this One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese! This super easy, one-pot meal is a quick, hearty and comforting meal that everyone in the family will love!
I’m all about the easy and quick meals lately. I’ve been feeling sooooo lazy this last week or so! Getting home from work I want to just veg on the couch and either read or watch tv. Anything that doesn’t require much brainpower. I mean, I obviously enjoy cooking and quite often it is a stress-buster for me but lately I just don’t have the energy to even think too hard about what I want to eat which is ridiculously weird for me.
Feeling as tired and lazy as I have lately means I keep considering just ordering some takeout or picking up a quick ready to go meal from somewhere. Unfortunately as convenient as that would be, when you’re saving up to purchase a house you really shouldn’t be doing that every day… damn, this adulting thing is tough.
That’s why I am glad I have recipes like this one in my back pocket to fall back on.
A few years ago, shortly after I first moved out from home I discovered one pot pasta meals (I just realized that was almost four years ago! Wow, the time has flown…). Holy heck was that ever a game changer! Especially when you don’t have a dishwasher, any reduction in the number of dishes is life changing.
After a few times of trying out different recipes for these kind of meals I started playing around and experimenting with different versions myself. The possibilities when it comes to these are pretty much endless which always excites me! As did the reduced number of dishes (yes I’m repeating myself about the dishes but seriously it was and still is that amazing to me).
I also really enjoy the fact that these one pot meals don’t require a ton of effort and are generally pretty quick which make them perfect for weeknights! Or you know, lazy weekends. Or in my case lately, everyday.
Maybe you have kids that are back in school and activities and now your evening are busier than ever. Or perhaps you’re a university student, needing to make a quick and healthy-ish meal on a budget in between studying and working that part-time job. Or maybe you don’t have kids or the responsibility of school and are just tired after a long day at work. Whoever you are, whatever your lifestyle is, we can all benefit from the simplicity of a one-pot meal like this.
This one pot chili mac and cheese is great comfort food. Make a pot, serve yourself a bowl and then cozy up on the couch in some comfy sweatpants to start a Netflix marathon. Sounds perfect for the cooling weather, doesn’t it?
If you try this recipe for One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, post on the Zest & Simmer Facebook page or share photos on Instagram using the hashtag #zestandsimmer. I’d love to see it and I always love hearing from you guys!
One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 small jalapeno , diced
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 19 oz can black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 4 cups chicken broth
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 340 g package macaroni
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add in ground beef, onion, garlic and jalapeno. Cook until the ground beef is fully browned, crumbling beef as it cooks, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in macaroni. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked al dente (about 10 minutes though can vary depending on the brand of pasta you use). Most of the liquid should be absorbed at this point.
- Stir in half of the shredded cheese, then top with the remaining cheese and cover pot until melted. Remove from heat and serve.
My husband loves all kinds of mac and cheese and chili! I can just imagine how he would like this one-pot chili mac and cheese! Great flavors for a great comfort food.
This dish sounds quite wonderful, Vanessa. It is so handy to have a one pot meal that is appealing to adults as well as being a kid-friendly type of dish. Thank you very much for sharing your recipe.