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elbow macaroni, browned ground beef and kidney beans in a thick red-orange chili cheese sauce in a plain deep skillet
Melissa Hart

Skillet Chili Mac and Cheese

The macaroni cooks in the chili, so keep enough broth in the pan for the noodles to soften before adding cheese. Stir along the bottom and check a noodle from the center, not just one floating near the edge. Beans and beef make this a full dinner. Let the cheese melt off the heat so it thickens the chili into a coating instead of boiling into oily little specks.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes 15 oz
  • 1 can kidney beans 15 oz, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 8 oz elbow macaroni
  • 6 oz medium cheddar cheese grated
  • 1/2 cup water reserved if needed

Method
 

  1. Brown beef and onion in a deep skillet over medium-high heat for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking the meat into crumbles, until the beef reaches 160°F. Drain excess fat if present.
  2. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and salt for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, beans and broth and bring to a simmer.
  3. Stir in macaroni, cover and simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the noodles are tender. Add reserved water 2 tablespoons at a time if the pan becomes dry before the pasta cooks.
  4. Uncover and simmer for 2 minutes if the sauce is still loose, then remove from the heat.
  5. Fold in cheddar until melted and let stand for 3 minutes before serving.