Easy Chili Mac Recipe
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This easy chili mac recipe is a delicious alternative to Hamburger Helper! It’s a quick one-pot meal that kids and adults love.
Chili mac is such delicious comfort food. It’s an easy recipe to make, and everyone loves it. The flavorful sauce and hearty mixture of ground beef, vegetables, and pasta come together to make a delicious one-pot meal.
This easy chili mac recipe is a great alternative to Hamburger Helper or other boxed dinner kits. I first started making this recipe when my children were younger, and we still enjoy it.
How to Make Easy Chili Mac
Step One: Cook the ground beef and pepper
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced bell pepper and cook over medium heat for another minute.
Step Two: Add the remaining ingredients
Stir in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, onion powder, paprika, salt, chili powder, cinnamon, and honey. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until it reaches the thickness you want. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, and stir to combine.
Step Four: Adjust the seasonings
Taste and adjust the seasonings. Different canned tomatoes have different amounts of salt and seasoning, so add extra spices to this easy chili mac recipe if needed.
Easy Chili Mac Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
What substitutions can be made?
By making this easy chili mac recipe at home, you can tailor the sauce to suit your tastes. Add extra tomato sauce for a soupier version, and throw in a little cumin and cayenne pepper if you want it spicier. You can also add cooked beans (kidney beans or black beans), and mushrooms or other vegetables make a delicious addition as well. This version is dairy-free, but you can garnish it with grated cheddar cheese or parmesan if desired.
How to make chili mac vegetarian?
You can substitute lentils or plant-based ground meat for the ground beef if you want a vegetarian version, and leave out the honey to make it vegan.
Does this dish have other names?
This easy chili mac recipe resembles many different regional versions. Around the country, it’s known by several names, including American chop suey and American goulash.
Try my Crock Pot Taco Soup for another frugal, healthy dinner recipe that your family will love.
Easy Chili Mac Recipe
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef preferably grass-fed or organic
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3/4 tsp. chili powder or to taste
- 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. honey or to taste
- 12 oz. whole wheat macaroni
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced bell pepper and cook over medium heat for another minute.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, onion powder, paprika, salt, chili powder, cinnamon, and honey. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until it reaches the thickness you want. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, and stir to combine.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings. Different canned tomatoes have different amounts of salt and seasoning, so add extra spices if needed.
Approximate Nutrition Info
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Easy Chili Mac Recipe Price Breakdown
This recipe costs a total of $7.79 to make, or $.97 per 1½ cup serving. This easy one-pot chili mac recipe is a delicious, frugal homemade Hamburger Helper that everyone will love.
How funny to read the comments. In the Army they call is Chili Mac and it was delicious! It didn’t look like much either but they forced us to eat it which is how I learned how good it was. Saving this recipe!
Reminds me of something my mom made when I was a kid…only it was in the Midwest. Such comfort food…never disappointed when dinner rolled around 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
I want some right now!
This is definitely the perfect comfort food for cold winter days! 🙂
I’m from the UK and I’ve never heard of this! Looks great though – I’ll have a go at the vegetarian version.
this is goulash here in Southern Indiana!
This is so close to what I call Macaroni/beef goulash.
I only use sautéed onions, browned ground beef salted, macaroni, and fresh tomatoes.
Delicious. Ready in less than 30 minutes.
My mother always call this “Slum Gullion” and made it frequently.
I’m from Michigan, and we call it goulash… if anyone cares. 🙂 I have to say, I’ll eat it every now and again if a family member serves it, but I much prefer spaghetti, and spaghetti is so much simpler!
I’ve heard this is called goulash in various parts of the country. So funny how the names vary from one place to another.
I love hearing how different regions respond to the “American Chop Suey” vs. “Goulash” debate. Such a humble dish to stir up a controversy like this. 🙂
Thanks, Stephanie. I hope it lives up to your memory!
Johnny marzetti in Ohio, beef-a-roni in West Virginia and goulash in New York. Delicious everywhere, although my mother didn’t use the bell pepper, cinnamon or chili powder.
So many different names and variations, Robin! I hadn’t heard of Johnny marzetti. 🙂
I grew up in MA and NH, and this was a regular dish on our table. I love it, and I love the name! ~Joyce, now in the midwest where I don’t know (nor care) what they call it
Cynetta, this is a version of what they call American Chop Suey here in Massachusetts. It goes by other names in different areas, including goulash and chili mac. I’d love to hear more about the version of chop suey that you’re used to.