Slow Cooker Crockpot Chili Mac and Cheese
This Slow Cooker Chili Mac and Cheese is hearty, delicious, and loaded with veggies. Load up your Crockpot for this easy weeknight dinner.
Servings 7 servings
Calories 346kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup chopped red peppers
- 1/2 cup chopped green peppers
- 3 garlic cloves Minced
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 15 oz fire roasted tomatoes
- 15 oz canned black beans Drained. You can use any canned beans you like.
- 15 oz canned chili beans Drained.
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese I use sharp.
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
Homemade Chili Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano Dried or ground.
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Optional for spicy. Adjust to taste.
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat.
- Add the ground beef and the chili seasoning. Break down the ground beef with a meat chopper.
- Stir and cook until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat from the beef if necessary.
- Add in the red peppers, green peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the cooked beef and vegetables to the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients (with the exception of the cheese). I use a 7 quart.
- Cook on Low for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or on High for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Check in periodically. It has finished cooking when the pasta is soft. I do not recommend preparing this as a "Keep Warm" recipe. Most slow cookers are still pretty hot when on the "Keep Warm" setting. You risk the pasta turning mushy. If you plan to let the dish sit, add your pasta at the end when the dish is done.
- About 10-15 minutes prior to serving, add the cheese to the cooker. Sprinkle it throughout the top.
- Allow 10-15 minutes for the cheese to melt.
- Cool before serving.
Video
Notes
- You can also buy a pre-packaged chili seasoning pack if you don't want to make your own.
- You can cook raw ground beef in the slow cooker. I don’t because you will get more flavor from the beef if you sear and cook it in a pan. This will caramelize the beef, along with the vegetables which simply provides immense flavor.
- You can skip this step and add your raw meat to the Crockpot if you wish. Raw beef will cook for 4-5 hours on Low or 2-3 hours on High. You risk the pasta getting mushy with this cook time, so I recommend cooking the pasta on the stove and adding it at the end along with the cheese.
- If you want a super cheesy dish (similar to my Mac and Cheese recipes), you will need a lot more cheese. I typically use 4-6 cups of cheese in those recipes.
- You can use any type of broth you wish.
- You can substitute any vegetables you wish.
- To use an Instant Pot you will need 4 cups of broth. Cook the ground beef using the Saute function, and follow the steps noted in the recipe. Add all of the ingredients (excluding the cheese) and pressure cook for 4 minutes with a natural release of steam. Add the cheese when finished.
- To make it on the stovetop, Cook your pasta in accordance with the package instructions. Follow the instructions above for how to cook the vegetables and ground beef. Once cooked add the pasta, cooked vegetables and ground beef, and the remaining ingredients (with the exception of the cheese) to a Dutch oven or soup pot. Simmer for 25-30 minutes and then add the cheese.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 8g