Vegetarian Chili Mac
This Vegetarian Chili Mac is a delicious mash up of two favorite meals: hearty vegetarian chili and gooey mac and cheese. This chili mac recipe is a one pot meal that you can have on your table in just 30 minutes!
This one pot vegetarian chili mac is one of my favorite quick and easy dinner recipes. It’s a cheesy, hearty and healthy meal that the whole family will love!
My family loves pasta for dinner, and some of our favorite pasta recipes include Instant Pot Spaghetti, Lasagna, Instant Pot Mac and Cheese and this comforting chili mac recipe. If you’d like a slow cooker version of this chili mac and cheese, my Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Mac is a reader favorite.
This vegetarian chili mac recipe is the perfect meal for those nights when you are short on time and energy but still want to make a wholesome meal for yourself and your family. The recipe is quick and easy to make using macaroni pasta, vegetables, beans and cheese.
The pasta absorbs delicious flavor as it cooks in the pot with the tomatoes, veggies and seasonings. The tomato-based sauce is slightly spicy, and you can easily adjust the spice level to your tastes. If you want to add ground beef or turkey to this recipe, I’ve included tips for that below.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is used when sautéing the vegetables.
- Onion, Bell Pepper & Carrots: This trio of healthy veggies provide flavor and nutrition. Chop the veggies into small pieces, no bigger than 1/4-inch, so that they will become tender in the time it takes the pasta to cook.
- Garlic & Seasonings: Fresh garlic, chili powder, cumin and salt add flavor to the chili mac.
- Diced Tomatoes & Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies: These help to create a sauce for the chili mac. The diced tomatoes with green chilies add extra flavor and some spice.
- Elbow Macaroni Pasta: Both whole wheat and white pasta work well in this recipe.
- Black Beans & Kidney Beans: Canned beans add filling protein to this vegetarian pasta recipe. You can use other types of canned beans if you prefer, such as pinto beans.
- Water: The pasta will absorb the water as it cooks.
- Shredded Cheese: Cheddar, Monterey jack and mozzarella all work well in this recipe. You can use one type of cheese or a combination. I recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself. The preshredded cheese that is sold at the store is often coated with an anti-caking agent that makes it not melt as smoothly.
How to Make Vegetarian Chili Mac
This recipe takes just a few easy steps to prepare. You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below. Here’s a quick look at the recipe steps.
- Sauté the onion, bell pepper and carrots in olive oil until soft.
- Add the garlic and seasonings and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.
- Stir in the tomatoes, pasta, beans and water.
- Increase the heat to bring the pot to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook, covered, until the pasta is tender. Stir every few minutes while the pasta cooks to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and to help it cook evenly.
- Stir in the cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the chili mac.
Recipe Variations
- This chili mac has a little bit of spice to it. To make it mild, use mild diced tomatoes with green chilies or substitute with another can of plain diced tomatoes. To make it spicier, you can add a small amount of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings.
- To add meat to this recipe, add ground beef or ground turkey to the pan after sautéing the onion, carrots and bell pepper for a few minutes. Cook the meat, crumbling, until browned and then proceed with the recipe.
- For vegan chili mac, either omit the cheese or use a block of vegan cheddar.
Can You Freeze Chili Mac?
You can freeze chili mac for up to 3 months. Let the chili mac cool and then store it in an airtight container in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating Instructions
- This dish reheats well and the leftovers are perfect for a quick lunch!
- Vegetarian chili mac can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat individual servings in the microwave until steaming hot.
More Delicious One Pot Meals
- One Pot Baked Ziti
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Chicken Tortilla Casserole
- White Chicken Chili
- Teriyaki Chicken and Noodles
Vegetarian Chili Mac
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 bell pepper, chopped small, any color
- 2 medium carrots, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies*, such as RO*TEL
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni pasta, whole wheat or white
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar, Monterey jack, mozzarella, or a combination
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet* or pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt to the pan with the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chilies, pasta, black beans, kidney beans and water. Stir.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook, stirring every few minutes, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in most of the cheese, reserving a little for sprinkling on top. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Serve.
Notes
- You will need a skillet or pot that is at least 12 inches wide and 2 inches deep to fit the full recipe.
- This recipe makes a chili mac with some spice to it. The spice is not overwhelming, but if your family prefers less spice I'd recommend using mild diced tomatoes with green chilies or subbing with a can of diced tomatoes without green chilies (fire roasted diced tomatoes would be delicious). To make the chili mac spicier, add a small amount of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings.
- To add meat to this recipe, add ground beef or ground turkey to the pan after sautéing the onion, carrots and bell pepper for a few minutes. Cook the meat, crumbling, until browned and then proceed with the recipe.
I’m always look for new one pot meals, so this looks fantastic! Dinner time can be crazy in my house too, and I don’t even have kids! 🙂 This sounds like the perfect solution for busy weeknights!
Thank you, Gayle! Isn’t it crazy how dinner time can be such a hectic time? One pot meals are a lifesaver! 🙂
So cheesy and so many delicious add-ins! Love this 🙂
Thank you Medha! I appreciate your sweet words!
You just combined 2 of my favorite winter comfort foods: chili and mac & cheese. Amazing!
Those are two of my favorites too! 🙂
This looks like such a great family meal for fall and winter! I love all the flavors in this dish!
Thank you, Kelly! I’ll be making this many more times this fall!
The dinner rush is definitely a crazy time, but this meal would help! I love that it’s minimal effort but looks so delicious! Definitely a keeper. 🙂
Thank you, Marcie!
Ooh heck to the yes! All the ingredients in this are just on point! I love this season of comfort foods like this – chili mac is where it’s all at <3
Thank you, Mary Frances! I am so ready for all of the comfort foods!
This is exactly the kind of meal I need! And I totally get what you say about being more tired when you’re at home than when you’re working — kids are exhausting! Lol
Yes, they are! It’s crazy how much energy they have!
Chili Mac is such a staple in our house! I love this vegetarian version! Perfect for when you need dinner in a pinch!
Thanks, Annie! I don’t make chili mac that often, but I think that’s going to change! 🙂
Diced tomatoes (and tomatoes with chilis) are a staple in my pantry. I love how much flavor and time savings they contribute to meals like this!
Thanks, Erin! I don’t know what I’d do without diced tomatoes!
I’m vegan, but I LOVE putting chili and cayenne in my mac and cheeze! It adds that extra dimension of flavor that really makes it so delicious 😀
Thank you, Sarah! I usually don’t add chili powder to my regular mac and cheese, but now you’ve got me wanting to try it!
I wonder if I could add nutrition yeast for a cheesy flavor rather than having the cheese?
I haven’t tried that myself, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you try it let us know how it turns out!
This was a wonderful easy and delicious dinner for our family tonight. I subbed the veggies for whatever I needed to use out of my fridge instead of throwing anything out and basically had dinner ready in like 20 minutes. I love a meal like this and quite tasty too! Thank you!
Just made this tonight and it was a hit! Does it freeze well??
I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, this should freeze well. 🙂
Says it serves 6, what is the serving? 1 cup? 2 cups? Thanks
I don’t have an exact serving size measurement. It will serve 6 average eaters.
Wow. I wasn’t sure about this, as I was craving meat, but it turned out awesome! I used diced carrotts in a can, since thats all I had, and wacky mac. This meal really came through when you need a satisfying meal( and uses pantry staples when you have an empty fridge). Served with cornbread, and will make again for sure!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Suzanne!
My husband and I enjoyed this. I had gotten him to reduce his HH box fix lol.
It was his crutch when I work late so this was a great healthier option and it’s simple enough he can make it when I’m working or traveling.
I was out of kidney beans so I tossed in some frozen corn other than that I followed your recipe.
It’s a nice change easy quick and good with cornbread or regular bread
Thank you best wishes
Great blog
Question about making this recipe: Are the Hunts tomatoes and Rotel tomatoes drained before they are added to the pot? Or are they are added with juice and all? Thank you!
Hi Cynthia, Add them undrained, with juice and all. Enjoy!
I love this recipe but want to try it in my instant pot, what are your recommendations?
I haven’t tried it, but that sounds like a great idea! Here is my best guess for how to make this in the Instant Pot. I would first saute the veggies using saute mode. Then stir in everything else except for the tomatoes, beans and cheese. Add the tomatoes and beans on top (do not stir in) and pressure cook for 4 minutes at high pressure. Carefully do a quick pressure release and stir in the cheese. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Just made this for dinner tonight with brown rice pasta. I really enjoyed it and look forward to leftovers tomorrow. The house smelled wonderful while the chili mac was cooking. I can eat this kind of food all year round and will definitely be making it again….and again. Thanks for posting the recipe.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Kristine
This looks amazing!! I really want to make it in the slow cooker. How would I adjust the process?
Hi Tarryn, try my slow cooker vegetarian chili mac recipe. It’s a favorite!
I make this all the time exactly as written. It’s great; quick and tasty!
5 teens/20somethings home with remote high school/college – half vegetarian, half not ?. This dish has become a weekly staple and a lifesaver – they all love it. THANK YOU!
I made this tonight ❤️It’s absolutely delicious.
Perfect for the freezing cold weather we having in Wales at the moment.
Thank you so much for this recipe it definitely will be a keeper in my home.
I made this last night. It was really easy and really good! I used whole what penne and it worked out fine. Even my super picky husband liked it! Will definitely add to the rotation
This was good. The only thing I’d suggest is to cook the pasta seperate so it doesn’t get soggy.
Thank you for this. I’ve been burnt out from the same meals over and over and was really frustrated. I needed this in my life!
Soooooo good!
I am trying to eat less meat and it’s sometimes difficult when you’re married to a die hard “meat and potatoes” man. We both LOVED this recipe. I did spice it up a bit by adding 1 whole jalapeno. I also used brown rice and quinoa pasta. This will be a favorite.