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This Skillet Cheesy Chili Mac is a delightful one-pan meal with ground beef, elbow macaroni, and a savory tomato sauce topped with melted cheese.
Why You’ll 🫶🏻 this Chili Mac
This classic comfort food combines pasta, cheese, and chili flavors in one skillet for a delightful, hearty meal. With a bit of prep and the right steps, you can turn basic pantry staples into a satisfying dinner in about 30 minutes. The one-pan method minimizes mess and lets you serve quickly, making it ideal for busy nights. Most of the ingredients, such as pasta, canned tomatoe sauce, cheese, and ground meat, are typically found in your pantry, which keeps it budget-friendly. While the mild, cheesy taste is perfect for kids, adults can easily spice it up with hot sauce or red pepper flakes. The combination of tender pasta and ground beef makes this dish filling and comforting, while the melted cheese adds a rich, creamy texture. Enjoy! ~Nicole
Key Ingredients for Skillet Cheesy Chili Mac
Lean Ground Beef provides a hearty, meaty flavor without making the dish greasy, and if you opt for a fattier version, draining the excess grease is a simple fix.
Yellow Onion contributes a gentle sweetness that complements the chili spices, becoming tender and flavorful as it cooks.
Red Bell Pepper adds a savory and sweet flavor.
Garlic is essential for enhancing the overall taste of the chili mac; add it after the onions soften to prevent burning.
Chili powder and Cumin are the spices that deliver the dish’s distinctive flavor profile.
Brown Sugar helps balance the acidity of the tomato sauce without adding sweetness.
Tomato Sauce adds a savory tangy and rich flavor, contributing to a creamy sauce that binds the dish together.
Water is mixed with the tomato sauce to create the cooking liquid for the pasta, and as the macaroni cooks, it releases starch that naturally thickens the sauce.
Elbow Macaroni is the classic choice, as its shape lets the sauce cling to each noodle.
Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheese melt perfectly, adding creaminess and rich flavor.
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper are essential to adjust for varying seasoning. Saltiness can vary by brand of tomato sauce and cheese.
Fresh Parsley brightens the dish and adds a splash of color just before serving.
Equipment Needed
Tips for Making Skillet Cheesy Chili Mac
- Grate the cheese, as freshly shredded cheese melts more evenly than pre-shredded varieties, which often contain anti-caking agents. Remember my kitchen tip on How to Grate Semi-soft Cheese on a Box Grater.
- Cook the beef until it is no longer pink before adding the tomato sauce, water, and pasta.
- Cover the skillet, increase the heat to medium-high to maintain a vigorous simmer, and cook, stirring often to keep the pasta from sticking together until the pasta is tender, about 9 to 12 minutes. Don’t overcook the pasta; remove the skillet from the heat as soon as the macaroni is tender, as it will continue to absorb sauce while resting. Season at the end, since the saltiness of tomato sauces and cheese can vary.
- After mixing in the remaining cheese, let the skillet sit, covered, for a few minutes; this lets the cheese melt fully and the sauce thicken to the right consistency.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitute lean ground turkey for the lean ground beef.
- Substitute Mexican chili powder for the chili powder for a more concentrated chili taste.
- Substitute small dried shelled pasta, like fussili, cavatappi, or ditalini, for the elbow macaroni.
- Add a 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed kidney, pinto, or black beans along with the tomato sauce.
- Add a diced jalapeño with the onions or sprinkle in some cayenne pepper to spice up the dish.
- Substitute Colby Jack or Pepper Jack cheese for the cheese mixture.
- Substitute the parsley with freshly chopped cilantro for a tasty twist.
Serving Suggestions
This is a hearty dish on its own, but side dishes are always well received.
Other skillet dishes you might enjoy…
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Skillet Cheesy Chili Mac
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon safflower oil, or other neutral oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or finely grated on a mircoplane
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 2 cups water
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 cups (8-ounces) elbow macaroni
- 1 cup (4-ounces) grated Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (4-ounces) grated Monterey Jack cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, red bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beef and cook, breaking it apart, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the water and tomato sauce, then add the pasta and stir. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, 9 to 12 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in 1 cup of the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top, cover, and let stand off the heat until the cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
