Slow Cooker Cheesy Chili Mac

A bowl of Crockpot Cheesy Chili Mac with dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheddar.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chili Mac

This crockpot chili mac is the perfect fusion dish that's great as a hearty and cozy winter meal. It's total comfort food and one of the easiest slow cooker recipes to make.

Prep Time15

Cook Time8

Pasta Cook Time10

Total Time8 25

Servings:

Calories: 543kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef pork, sausage, turkey, or chicken
1 small onion chopped
2 ribs celery chopped
2 tablespoons garlic minced
1 28-ounce can canned diced tomatoes with liquid
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can corn rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon black pepper or cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons chili powder to taste
2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups cooked pasta of your choice
2 cups cheddar shredded
cooking spray

Toppings

hot sauce
thinly sliced green onion
shredded cheese
sour cream

Instructions

Turn slow cooker up to high and coat with cooking spray.
Crumble your ground meat all over the bottom of the slow cooker.
Sprinkle your dry seasonings evenly over the top of the crumbled ground meat.
Pour in the canned tomatoes over top of the seasoning.
Add onions, celery, garlic, kidney beans, corn, chick peas, brown sugar, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce to a large bowl and combine well. Pour this mixture over your ground meat and seasonings.
Cover and turn slow cooker down to low for 7-8 hours.
Remove lid and stir chili well with a wooden spoon. Add the 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until well melted and creamy.
Boil water and make pasta according to package directions. Ideally, mix pasta with chili as you are serving for best results.
Serve with green onions, shredded cheese and sour cream if desired. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Don't overcook the pasta. This may cause it to end up too mushy when combined with the chili mixture. Leave the pasta a teeny bit undercooked, then add it to the Crockpot, and let it cook in there with the chili.
Shred from the block: While pre-shredded cheese is super convenient, I highly recommend shredding the cheese from a block to get the best flavor.
Ground meat: If you use a less lean (fattier) type of ground meat such as pork or sausage, I recommend browning it ahead of time so you can drain off the excess fat.

Nutrition