Description
A quick hack for chili mac whenever the craving strikes! With a few pantry ingredients, leftover taco meat and some shredded cheese, you’ve got yourself a comforting, family friendly meal in roughly 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 oz. uncooked macaroni (preferably whole wheat or bean based for heart health)
- 1/2 cup pasta sauce (I used my homemade vodka sauce (sans cream – recipe here), but a marinara or a nice chunky pasta sauce would also work really well)
- 1/2 cup leftover taco meat (here’s my favorite recipe for taco meat)
- 1 cup cooked, seasoned beans, with juices (I used my Instant Pot beans)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Your favorite salsa or hot sauce, to taste
- 4 – 5 oz. shredded Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a bowl or medium saucepan, stir together the sauce, taco meat, beans and seasonings. Taste and add salsa or hot sauce to your liking. This is the chili which will be the hearty “sauce” for the dish, so feel free to add anything you really love in your chili. Heat in the microwave or on stovetop until hot.
- When the macaroni is done, drain off all the water. Pour the pasta into an oven-safe small casserole pan. Pour the chili over top. Gently fold to coat the macaroni in the chili. Add about 1/3 of the cheese on top and fold a little more to get some of the cheese right down in with the pasta, then top with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake at 400 F. for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted and a little browned in some spots. Garnish with avocado, cilantro or parsley or whatever else makes you happy with your chili mac. Time to eat!
Notes
Feel free to adjust the proportions of the sauce, meats and beans to your liking … and to add whatever you love in your chili mac to this recipe! For vegetarian, leave out the meat and add extra beans … or substitute lentil taco filling for the meat. For vegan, use vegan cheese shreds in place of regular cheese.
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