Slow-Cooker Chili Mac
By Joe GitterPublished on October 16, 2019
Time
1 to 2 hours on high
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Slow cooker size
5 to 7 quarts
Ingredients
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces2 tablespoons whole milk Salt and pepper 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 onions, chopped fine3 tablespoons chili powder 6 garlic cloves, minced4 teaspoons ground cumin 1 pound elbow macaroni or small shells1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 2½ cups water, plus extra as needed1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce 8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
Before You Begin
You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe.
Instructions
- 1. Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray. Mash bread, milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper into paste in large bowl using fork. Add ground beef and knead with hands until well combined.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add beef mixture and cook, breaking up meat into rough 1-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, garlic, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges are translucent, about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in tomatoes, water, and tomato sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in 1 cup pepper Jack. Transfer mixture to prepared slow cooker, cover, and cook until macaroni is tender, 1 to 2 hours on high.
- Discard foil collar. Gently stir macaroni to recombine. Adjust consistency with extra hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup pepper Jack, cover, and let sit until melted, about 20 minutes. Serve.
Time
1 to 2 hours on highYield
Serves 6 to 8Slow cooker size
5 to 7 quartsIngredients
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons whole milk
Salt and pepper
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
3 tablespoons chili powder
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound elbow macaroni or small shells
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2½ cups water, plus extra as needed
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
Ingredients
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons whole milk
Salt and pepper
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
3 tablespoons chili powder
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound elbow macaroni or small shells
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2½ cups water, plus extra as needed
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
Ingredients
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons whole milk
Salt and pepper
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
3 tablespoons chili powder
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound elbow macaroni or small shells
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2½ cups water, plus extra as needed
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
Why This Recipe Works
Chili mac is a classic American casserole in which a meaty, chili-flavored tomato sauce is mixed with macaroni and cheese. We started by adding a panade—a paste of milk and bread—to the ground beef to keep it moist. We then browned the beef in a Dutch oven along with onions and a generous amount of chili powder, garlic, and cumin. A combination of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce created the proper consistency for the chili. Toasting the macaroni set the proteins in the pasta and prevented it from becoming bloated. For an appealingly cheesy topping, we reserved a cup of the cheese to sprinkle over the dish before serving.
Before You Begin
You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe.
Instructions
- 1. Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray. Mash bread, milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper into paste in large bowl using fork. Add ground beef and knead with hands until well combined.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add beef mixture and cook, breaking up meat into rough 1-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, garlic, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges are translucent, about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in tomatoes, water, and tomato sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in 1 cup pepper Jack. Transfer mixture to prepared slow cooker, cover, and cook until macaroni is tender, 1 to 2 hours on high.
- Discard foil collar. Gently stir macaroni to recombine. Adjust consistency with extra hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup pepper Jack, cover, and let sit until melted, about 20 minutes. Serve.
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