Crockpot chili mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort dinner! This set it and forget it recipe features hearty ground beef, chili beans, macaroni, plenty of cheese and more. Cheesy, easy, and kid friendly – it checks all the right boxes!
Why You’ll Love This Chili Mac and Cheese Recipe
Here’s why you’ll fall in love with this hearty, cheesy and flavor-packed crockpot chili mac:
- Dump and Go: No need to brown meat or sauté onion. Instead, just layer in all the ingredients and let the crockpot do all the work!
- Budget Friendly: The most expensive ingredient needed is the ground beef! By using a few simple ingredients, this easy dinner won’t empty your wallet!
- Flavorful & Cheesy: The chili beans, Rotel, and chili seasoning mix add a nice kick to this beefy dish without being overpowering. Add all the cheesy goodness, and it’s a huge hit with all the kids.
- Hearty: Loaded with protein and fiber from the beef and chili beans, this crockpot chili mac and cheese promises to leave everyone satisfied!
Don’t have a crockpot? Try this stovetop chili Mac instead! You might also enjoy our crockpot chicken chili, classic baked chili dogs and our easy chili ready in 30 minutes.
What You’ll Need
With just a few simple and inexpensive ingredients, you’ll be ready to make this tasty slow cooker chili mac. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Ground Meat: You can use ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Chili Beans: Don’t drain the can of beans, the chili sauce adds a lot of flavor!
- Rotel: Use regular, hot, or mild Rotel, based on preference. With kids, we use mild.
- Chili Seasoning: We’re huge fans of our homemade chili seasoning, but any store-bought blend will work too.
- Beef Broth: You can sub with vegetable or chicken broth.
- Pasta: We opted for elbow macaroni pasta, but you can use any kind of small noodle style pasta.
- Cheddar Cheese
How to Make Crockpot Chili Mac and Cheese
There’s nothing easier than a ‘dump and go’ style chili mac recipe. Here’s how to make it in the crockpot. Scroll to the recipe card at bottom of the post for full detailed instructions.
- Layer: Add the ground beef to the bottom of a 7-quart crockpot and break it up into pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients and place the lid on.
- Slow Cook: Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
- Cheese: 20 minutes before you’re ready to serve, add the past and a cup of the shredded cheese. Stir everything together and then cook on high for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
- Serve: Serve warm and enjoy!
Cook’s Tips for Best Results
A few tips and tricks to make sure your chili mac and cheese comes out perfect!
- Lean Ground Beef: If you do not use lean ground beef, there will be excess grease. If you choose a fattier cut of beef, we suggest browning the meat in a skillet first. Then drain off any excess grease and add it to the crockpot.
- Brown The Meat: We tested this recipe two ways, browning the meat before and adding the raw meat straight to the slow cooker. There was a very minimal difference, with just a slightly deeper beefy flavor to the browned version. We don’t feel the extra work is worth it, but you can absolutely brown the beef before if you prefer!
- Add More Veggies: This crock-pot chili mac is also great with frozen corn or even peas. You can also add an extra can of drained kidney beans or black beans.
- Pasta: If you think you’re going to have leftovers, you can opt to cook the pasta separately on the stove and just add to the bowls when serving. Mixed together, the pasta will absorb the broth overnight. This is a great way around that!
- Spice It Up: Rotel comes in hot, original (medium) or mild. If you like spicy food, give the hot, or extra hot, version a try! I used mild, since we can always add more spice later but can’t take it away. After cooking, season to taste with cayenne pepper, hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes.
What to Serve With Chili Mac
This chili mac recipe makes a lot of food and it’s really a complete meal all on its own! Usually, we’ll just enjoy a nice big bowl topped with more shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and some fresh chopped red or green onion. Some of our family enjoy adding a handful of crunchy Fritos to theirs!
If you have the time, a piece of our sweet potato cornbread or buttery beer bread would both be amazing served on the side!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
This recipe for mac and cheese chili makes quite a bit of food and it’s likely you’ll have some leftovers. Here’s how to handle them.
- Fridge: Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: You can reheat in the slow cooker or the microwave based on your preference. You might need to add a little broth to loosen it up.
- Freeze: You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. If you plan on freezing it, we recommend cooking the noodles separately. Freeze it without the pasta to avoid mushy noodles! Thaw overnight and reheat, then add freshly cooked noodles.
More Comforting Chili Recipes
Yield: 4 servings
Crockpot Chili Mac and Cheese
This easy crockpot chili mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort dinner! A true set it and forget it style recipe, it features hearty ground beef, chili beans, macaroni, plenty of cheese and more. Cheesy, easy, and kid friendly – it checks all the right boxes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
- 1 (27 oz) can chili beans with sauce, do not drain
- 1 (10 oz) can Rotel, mild, original, or hot
- 1 (1.25 oz) packet chili seasoning
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 ½ cups dry elbow macaroni pasta
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Add ground beef to a 7-quart crockpot and use a spoon to break it up into pieces.
- Mix in the chili beans, Rotel, chili seasoning mix and beef broth, stir and place lid on crockpot.
- Cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or high 3 to 4 hours.
- 20 minutes before serving, add 1 cup of the shredded cheese and the macaroni pasta. Stir to combine, replace the lid, and cook on high for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
- Serve warm. Top with more shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped onion.
Notes
Store: Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat: You can reheat in the slow cooker or the microwave based on your preference. You might need to add a little broth to loosen it up.
Freeze: You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. If you plan on freezing it, we recommend cooking the noodles separately. Freeze it without the pasta to avoid mushy noodles! Thaw overnight and reheat, then add freshly cooked noodles.
Lean Ground Beef: If you do not use lean ground beef, there will be excess grease from the meat. If you choose a fattier cut of beef, we suggest browning the meat in a skillet first, draining off the excess grease, then adding it to the crockpot.
Brown The Meat: We tested this recipe two ways, browning the meat before and adding the raw meat straight to the slow cooker. There was a very minimal difference flavor wise, with just a slightly deeper beefy flavor to the browned meat version. We don’t feel the extra work is worth it, but you can absolutely brown the beef before if you prefer!
More Veggies: This crock-pot chili mac is also great with frozen corn or even peas. You can also add an extra can of drained kidney beans or black beans.
Spice It Up: Rotel comes in hot, original (medium) or mild. If you like spicy food, give the hot, or extra hot, version a try! I used mild, since we can always add more spice later but can’t take it away. After cooking, season to taste with cayenne pepper, hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 585kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 47g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 99mg, Sodium: 2108mg, Potassium: 1725mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 4752IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 323mg, Iron: 9mg
