Vegan One-Pot Chili Mac

Total time40 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time30 min

This hearty one-pot dish builds its flavor from a deeply spiced tomato base—chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne simmered with garlic, onion, and bell pepper until fragrant. Kidney beans and elbow macaroni cook right in that saucy broth, soaking up all that smoky, savory seasoning while the pasta turns tender and the sauce thickens to a rich, clingy consistency. It's the kind of cozy, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food that comes together in a single pot with minimal cleanup, packed with texture from every diced vegetable and bean. A scatter of sliced green onions on top adds a fresh, sharp bite to finish things off. This chili mac is a great fit for a vegan kitchen, delivering all the bold, spoon-coating satisfaction of the classic version. Make a big batch, since it reheats beautifully for lunches all week.

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Ingredients

4 servings

1 lb ground beef (80/20)
Gardein Ultimate Plant Based Frozen Ground Be'f - 13.7 Oz MorningStar Farms Crumbles Plant Based Protein Vegan Meat Grillers - 12 Oz Lightlife Smart Ground Original Plant-Based Crumbles Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Crumbles Ground Be'f RollinGreens Plant-Based Me'Eat Ground Taco
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Chef's tip
Pick the form that matches the recipe - a raw, moldable ground for patties, meatballs, or meatloaf; crumbles only for loose browned meat. Cook it in the recipe like the meat, checking doneness against the package guidance.
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
Chef's tip
Use the same amount of low-sodium vegetable broth. The dish will taste lighter and less meaty; a mushroom-rich vegetable broth gives the closest beefy flavor.
1 ½ cups elbow macaroni, dry
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp black pepper

For serving

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Chef's tip
If the dish is baked or melted, cover it or keep the heat gentle - dairy-free shreds melt more slowly than dairy cheese.
2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
¼ cup sour cream (optional)
Omit this
This ingredient likely doesn’t work for the diet.

Instructions

1
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Tilt the pot and spoon off all but about 1 tbsp of the rendered fat.
2
Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent, about 4–5 minutes.

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