With tender macaroni and hearty beans in a cheesy chili-tomato sauce, this One-Pot Vegetarian Chili Mac is, basically, comfort food perfection. The fact that it comes together quickly and easy in a single pan is a bonus! We love this vegetarian chili macaroni – and I think (hope!) you will too.
When I tell you I’ve been working on this One-Pot Vegetarian Chili Mac recipe for YEARS, I’m not exaggerating! It’s not that vegetarian chili mac is a complicated recipe, it’s just that it took me a bit of time, moving away from it and coming back to it, and then finally several chili mac dinners over the past couple of years – to get it just right.
The result is a perfectly cheesy chili mac recipe that’s super hearty – and delicious! – despite its meatless status.
I created a vegetarian chili mac recipe over a decade ago for another website, and always wanted to circle back around to it, because something about it didn’t feel quite right. I felt like I used a bit too much chili powder to make up for the fact that it was a relatively quick recipe, and there wasn’t much time for the flavors to all develop. I also suggested cooking the pasta in a separate pan, which felt unnecessarily fussy.
So I added this one back into my “recipes I’m developing” folder, and over the past couple of years, I’ve been making vegetarian chili mac for dinner every few weeks, until I got it just right.
My first goal was to make this a one-pot chili mac without having to cook the pasta separately. I took a cue from Recipe Tin Eats’ chili mac recipe, where she cooks the pasta right in the pan with everything else, after browning the ground beef.
I added the broth and macaroni right to the pan, and, yay! Easy peasy vegetarian chili mac in one pot.
This method has bonus of time, which turns out to be a win-win. The extra 10 minutes or so that it takes the pasta to cook also allows the chili flavors to develop without having to go overboard on the chili powder. My first recipe called for 2 tablespoons of chili powder. This one takes more like 2 teaspoons. (I think it’s perfect this way, but if you want more chili powder, go for it!)
Well, first of all, it tastes amazing! It’s hearty and a little spicy and cheesy. Total comfort food.
If you’re feeding meat-eaters, I’m willing to bet they won’t miss the ground beef that you find in traditional chili mac recipes. My resident meat-eater is a huge fan of this vegetarian chili mac. But I have provided an easy option to give this the one-dish-two-ways treatment, for half vegetarian chili mac and half with meat.
I use two cans of beans for some extra heartiness and protein, and I think that it’s the perfect pasta-to-bean ratio.
I’m willing to bet you’ll also love how easy this one-pot vegetarian chili mac is to make! The one-pan preparation is so satisfying, and half the time is hands-off. Just enough time to whip up a salad or easy veggie side.
It’s simple! First, sauté your onion and green pepper until tender. Add the garlic and oregano, and sauté for another minute. Then, add the chili powder and the cumin and cook, stirring, until the veggies are coated and the dish is nice and aromatic.
From there, add the tomatoes, beans, veggie broth, and pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender, then add some of the cheddar cheese, stirring until melted. Top with more cheddar and scallions and cilantro if you like.
That’s it! I told you this One Pot Vegetarian Chili Mac was easy.