Vegetarian Chili Mac (One Pot!)

We all know that chili and rice go well together – but have you ever tried chili with pasta?! This Vegetarian Chili Mac combines two of my favorite dinners to create something that is More ways than the sum of its parts:

Mac & Cheese + Spicy Veggie Chili = Veggie Chili Mac!

It’s loaded with veggies, beans, and of course lots of cheesy pasta!

If that hasn’t already convinced you to try this recipe, maybe this will: this vegetarian chili mac can be made in just one pot! If there’s one thing that can make a delicious meal even more irresistible, it’s knowing you’ll only have one pan to wash afterwards!

The pasta cooks right there in the homemade enchilada sauce, helping to make it thick and flavorful.

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• It is. is Delicious!
• It’s the perfect one-pot dinner – so there’s minimal faff and minimal washing up!
• You can adjust the spices and vegetables to your own liking – you can use it as a fridge cleaner.
• This chili mac is the ultimate comfort food, but it’s still full of veggies and protein-rich beans—the best of both worlds.
• It’s hearty enough to serve on its own, but like all the best Tex-Mex dishes, it can be dressed up with your favorite toppings like avocado, sour cream, or tortilla chips!

🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. You’ll also need some kitchen staples like oil, salt, and black pepper.

A few ingredient notes:

• the pasta – I used fusilli, but any similar shape would work, like a pen or spiral.
• onion – I actually used frozen onions, but fresh onions would be great too!
• pepper – I used a few minis, because that’s what I had on hand. A large pepper would also be great – red, yellow or orange would be the tastiest.
• mushroom
• garlic
• Kidney beans – Black beans would be very good.
• spices – Smoked paprika, cumin and mild chili powder. Use more pepper if you like it spicy!
• the past – This is a tomato sauce that is literally made from crushed tomatoes. If you can’t find passata, any other similar tomato sauce will do.
• Grated cheese – I used pre-grated stuff, but grated cheese from a block would be even better.

See printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient amounts.

🔄 Material Swap

Here are a few ways you can adapt this recipe:

• Swap the vegetables for what you already have in the fridge. Sweetcorn, courgette (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant), tomato, etc. will all work well.
• You can try whole grain pasta if you prefer. It usually takes a few minutes longer to cook than white pasta, so a splash of extra water may also be necessary.
• If you like things really spicy, swap out the cheddar cheese for your favorite spicy cheese—or, if you want your chili mac to be mild and sweet, use something like mozzarella.
• Mix with a dollop of cream cheese just before serving to make an extra creamy chili mac.
• Black beans would work really well instead of kidney beans if you prefer.

📋 Instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 1: Start by cooking the onions, peppers and mushrooms for a few minutes, until they begin to soften.

Step 2: Add spices and kidney beans. As the spices coat the vegetables, they will begin to create a rich, spicy sauce.

Step 3: Add uncooked pasta and passata. Bring to a simmer.

Step 4: Once the pasta is cooked stir in some cheese to make the whole dish nice and creamy. Melt the rest of the cheese on top.

Step 5: Serve with your choice of toppings or side dishes. I chose fresh parsley and sliced ​​avocado.

🌶 Chili Mac FAQs