One-pot chilli mac
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Danielle Wood
One-pot chilli mac
All done in one pot, this is a combination of two iconic dishes: chilli con carne and mac ’n’ cheese. It’s a hearty crowd-pleaser
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving (1 of 6))
Calories
651Kcal
Fat
25gr
Saturates
12gr
Carbs
61gr
Sugars
8gr
Fibre
9gr
Protein
41gr
Salt
1.3gr
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
See more of Spencer Lengsfield’s recipes
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
See more of Spencer Lengsfield’s recipes
Ingredients
For the chilli
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 x 500g pack 12% fat beef mince
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp chilli con carne spice mix
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 500ml beef stock
- 1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
For the pasta
- 400g macaroni
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
- 3 tbsp cream cheese
- 4 tbsp milk
- 200g grated four-cheese mix
- 2 spring onions, sliced
Step by step
- Start by adding the oil to a large pot or casserole over a high heat. Brown the beef in two batches, until the liquid has cooked off and the beef has golden crispy bits all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the onion, pepper and garlic to the pot, and cook for 5 minutes or until everything is softened and fragrant. Add the spice mix and tomato purée, cook for 2 minutes, then add the beef back in, along with the chopped tomatoes, beef stock and some seasoning. Simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes, or until thickened. Add the kidney beans for the last 10 minutes.
- Add an additional 500ml water to the chilli then add the macaroni. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes or until the pasta is just cooked, stirring frequently. Stir in the hot sauce, if using, plus the cream cheese, milk and the grated cheese. Add a little extra milk if it looks too thick. Divide among bowls and garnish with the spring onions to serve.
Cook's tip
Prepare the chilli ahead of time, then continue the recipe at step 3 when you’re at your destination.
