30 Minute One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese

This dish is so delicious it has become a Fall favorite in our home. We know that the moment the weather drops and the light sweaters come out of storage this dish is one of the first things that will be made. So now that you have everything you need in one spot let's look at putting it all together!

Instructions

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Since I'm using extra lean ground beef there's no need to drain the fat, but if you're using fatter ground beef, drain whatever fat there is.

Stir in the onion and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes or until the onion softens and becomes translucent and the garlic is aromatic.

Add the cayenne pepper, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and stir. Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, chicken broth and elbow pasta. Stir everything together and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 9 to 12 minutes or until the elbow macaroni is cooked.

Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese then sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top. Cover the pot for about 1 minute just until the cheese melts.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

There is one thing to keep in mind and that is if you're making this dish in an oven safe dish like a dutch oven, you can run it on the broiler setting for a few moments to give it that amazing golden brown cheese on top. Sure it's one more step but it takes little to no time at all and trust me, it's so worth it!