Cozy busy-night dinner
Easy Chili Mac Dinner
Ground beef, elbow macaroni, chili seasoning, tomatoes, sauce, beans, and cheese come together for a hearty comfort-food dinner that is easy to stretch.
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs ground beef
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 packet Chili Meal Mix or 1 mild chili seasoning packet
- 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 can chili beans, undrained
- ½–1 cup pasta water, beef broth, or water as needed
- ½–1 8-oz block cheddar cheese, shredded
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, or extra chili seasoning to taste
Directions
- Cook the macaroni according to package directions and save about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef and drain if needed.
- Stir in the chili seasoning, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chili beans.
- Simmer a few minutes, then stir in the cooked macaroni.
- Add pasta water or broth if you want it saucier.
- Taste, adjust seasoning, top with cheese, and serve warm.
Melanie’s Time-Saver Tip 💜
Use ground beef you already cooked earlier in the week—or brown extra while making this recipe and freeze it for another busy night.
Make It Stretch
Beans help this dinner go further. If you are short on meat, add another can or two. Chili beans can go in undrained; black beans or kidney beans are best drained and rinsed.
Want more heat?
Use hot chili seasoning, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomatoes with green chilies, or pepper jack cheese.
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