Who doesn’t love a good bowl of comfort food? This Chilli Beef Macaroni Cheese is the perfect blend of rich chili con carne and creamy macaroni and cheese. It’s an irresistible combination that will warm you from the inside out. Whether you’re hosting a casual dinner or need a hearty family meal, this slow-cooked masterpiece is the way to go. The best part? It’s a super easy recipe that you can throw together in your slow cooker, letting it work its magic while you get on with your day.

Method in Details

To start, you will want to prepare the base of your dish. If you have the time, it’s a good idea to brown the beef mince first. This step adds flavor and helps the meat to cook more evenly in the slow cooker. If you’re short on time, you can skip this and go straight to adding everything into the slow cooker. Place the beef mince, passata, tomato purée, and garlic into the slow cooker. Then, add half of the fresh coriander (which will infuse the dish with a fragrant flavor), the sliced red chili, the chopped onion, the chili con carne spice mix, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Stir it all together to combine and cover. Set your slow cooker to cook on high for about 4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the beef to become tender.

Once your chili base has cooked to perfection, it’s time to add the extras. Pour in the chicken stock and add the drained and rinsed kidney beans along with the chopped red pepper and dried macaroni. Stir the ingredients together, making sure the pasta is evenly distributed. At this point, you’ll want to let the dish cook for another 45 minutes on high. If you’re using the low setting, leave it to cook for about an hour. Keep an eye on the macaroni to ensure it cooks through properly but doesn’t become too soft or mushy.Finally, you’ll finish it off by adding the cheese. Take half of the grated cheddar cheese and gently stir it into the dish. This will melt beautifully into the chili and pasta, creating a creamy and cheesy texture. Then, top the entire dish with the remaining cheddar cheese. Close the slow cooker for a few minutes, allowing the cheese to melt completely. When it’s all done, garnish with the remaining coriander for a burst of freshness.

Necessary Tools

Slow cooker
Chopping board and knife
Grater for cheese and garlic
Stirring spoon

Chilli Beef Macaroni Cheese: The Ultimate Comfort Food

Recipe by Simon Davies

0.0 from 0 votes

Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

Total time

hours

minutes

Ingredients

400g lean beef mince
700g passata
1 tbsp tomato purée
3 garlic cloves, grated or chopped
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped, plus extra to garnish
1 red chili, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 packet of chili con carne spice mix (or homemade)
700ml chicken stock
400g tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 red pepper, chopped
250g dried macaroni
120g Cheddar cheese (reduced fat if possible), grated
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Prepare the base: Brown the mince first if you have time, but if you’re in a rush, you can skip this step. Add the beef mince, passata, tomato purée, garlic, half the coriander, sliced chili, chopped onion, spice mix, salt, and pepper to your slow cooker. Set it to cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
Add the extras: Once the chili base is cooked, add the chicken stock, kidney beans, red pepper, and macaroni to the slow cooker. Continue cooking on high for 45 minutes. If you’re cooking on low, leave it for about 1 hour, ensuring the macaroni cooks through.
Finish it off: Stir through half of the grated cheddar cheese into the dish. Then, top it with the rest of the cheese and garnish with the remaining fresh coriander.

Notes

Slow cooker times: The cooking time for the chili base can vary depending on your slow cooker. If you’re using the low setting, make sure to check the pasta’s doneness around the 1-hour mark.
Avoid overcooking the pasta: If you leave the pasta in for too long, it can become mushy. Keep an eye on it and stir it occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Cheese melting: Stir the cheese into the dish gently, ensuring it melts evenly without clumping.

Serving Suggestions

This dish is perfect on its own, but you can also pair it with a fresh side salad or some crusty bread to scoop up all that cheesy goodness. If you love a little heat, sprinkle some extra chili flakes on top for a fiery kick!

Fun Fact

Did you know that macaroni and cheese became popular in the United States in the 18th century? It’s said that Thomas Jefferson introduced the dish after discovering it during his travels to Europe!

Conclusion

This Chilli Beef Macaroni Cheese is the ultimate comfort food, and the slow cooker makes it so easy to prepare. The combination of rich chili and creamy cheese will have everyone coming back for seconds. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep, you can have a hearty meal ready to enjoy. Whether you’re feeding the family or having friends over, this recipe will become a regular favorite in your meal rotation. Enjoy!