This chili mac casserole is a dump & bake recipe that is like a combination of chili and mac and cheese. This recipe is vegetarian and ready in just over 30 minutes using mostly budget-friendly pantry staples!
This dump & bake chili mac recipe is like a combination of mac and cheese and chili, all baked together in one dish. It's adapted from my stovetop vegetarian chili mac, which is one of the first recipes I made when I went vegetarian.
For those who aren't in the know, chili mac features a lot of the same spices as chili. It's paired with elbow pasta and a big handful of shredded cheese for a nod to mac n cheese.
In true dump and bake casserole fashion, the pasta cooks completely in the oven. This results in a nutritious vegetarian dinner that takes just over 30 minutes to make!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Nutritious comfort food: Filled with fiber and plant-based protein, this chili mac casserole is as comforting as it is nutritious.
- Versatile: Just like chili, this chili mac is versatile. Add in different vegetables, swap out the beans, and adjust spices to taste.
- High-protein option: The casserole has 24 grams of protein per serving as-is, but can easily be made higher protein by using protein pasta or adding seasoned tofu, tempeh, or "beef" crumbles.
Ingredients
- Elbow pasta: Any medium pasta shape works here. Whole wheat pasta also works. Protein pasta and gluten-free pasta should work as long as they have standard cooking methods.
- Beans: I use pinto beans and light red kidney beans. Just like with most chili recipes, any variety of beans works here.
- Crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce: Don't omit these ingredients, as the pasta needs some of the liquid from the tomatoes to cook fully. Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and seasoned tomatoes are good swaps for extra flavor.
- Cheese: Shredded Mexican blend cheese is my go-to, but you can also use Monterrey jack or shredded mozzarella.
- Seasonings: Chili powder, cumin, and oregano. If you like a hint of spice, I recommend swapping half of the chili powder with chipotle chili powder.
Step-by-step instructions
- To a 10x10-inch or similarly sized baking dish, add the pasta, onion, red pepper, garlic, seasonings, crushed tomatoes with juices, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and drained and rinsed beans. Stir well. Pour in the hot vegetable broth, stirring again.
- Cover tightly with foil, an upside-down baking sheet, or an oven-safe lid. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir, testing the pasta for doneness. If it is still crunchy or not yet al dente, replace the lid and bake in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, repeating as needed.
- Stir half of the shredded cheese into the pasta. Add the remaining cheese on top. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven. Top with chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, and any other chili toppings you like. Enjoy!
Cassidy's tips
- For an even quicker recipe, use a packet of taco seasoning or chili seasoning instead of measuring out individual spices.
- For spicier chili mac, add a diced jalapeno, use 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder in place of standard chili powder, or add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- For extra flavor, saute the onion, pepper, and garlic in oil before adding to the baking dish.
- For a higher protein meal, saute vegetarian beef crumbles, tempeh taco meat, or tofu taco meat. Add it to the casserole when you add the cheese.
- To make the chili mac vegan, simply use your favorite vegan shredded cheese in place of cheddar cheese.
FAQ
As long as the pasta is mostly covered by liquid, it will cook through.
Although this recipe only uses 8 ounces of pasta, it needs at least an 8x11-inch baking dish. I tested it in my 10x10-inch square baking dish, which is the perfect size, but not necessarily a standard size.
An 8x8-inch baking dish (a standard small square dish) is likely too small because of the two cans of beans and other add-ins, so I'd opt for a slightly larger dish. An oval or circular dish works just as well as a rectangular one.
I add boiling water to the pasta before baking it because it speeds up the baking process significantly. If you forget to boil the water, just add 10-15 minutes to the pasta timer. I still recommend removing it from the oven at the 20-minute mark to stir the pasta, which helps it to cook evenly.
Storage notes
- Leftovers are best within 3-4 days. Let the casserole dish cool before transferring to the refrigerator.
- Note that the macaroni continues to soak up liquid as it cools, so leftovers won't be as saucy.
- Chili mac freezes well. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. To reheat in the oven, cover tightly with foil and bake at 325F until heated through about 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil at the end to remelt the cheese.
More vegetarian casseroles
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Recipe
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Dump & Bake Chili Mac Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable broth or 2 cups water + 2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon
- 8 ounces elbow pasta see note #1
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder *can be replaced with an additional 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 15 ounce can light red kidney beans drained and rinsed; any variety of chili beans works
- 15 ounce can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- sliced green onions and chopped cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a kettle or bring to a boil in a pot on the stovetop. If using vegetable bouillon (I use Better than Bouillon vegetable base) you can add the vegetable base directly to the baking dish.
- To a 10x10-inch or similarly sized baking dish, add the pasta, onion, red pepper, garlic, seasonings, crushed tomatoes with juices, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and drained and rinsed beans. Stir well. Pour in the hot water, stirring again.
- Cover tightly with foil, an upside-down baking sheet, or an oven-safe lid. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and stir, testing the pasta for doneness. If it is still crunchy or not yet al dente, replace the lid and bake in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, repeating as needed.
- Stir half of the shredded cheese into the pasta. Add the remaining cheese on top. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven. Top with chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, and any other chili toppings you like. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Pasta: Any short or medium-grain pasta works. If using whole wheat pasta or protein pasta, note that cook times may vary. Only use protein pasta or gluten-free pasta with standard cooking methods.
- Seasonings: As with chili, feel free to adjust seasonings to taste. For an even quicker recipe, use a packet of taco seasoning or chili seasoning instead of measuring out individual spices.
- Higher protein option: Use protein pasta in place of standard pasta or add in crumbled tempeh (like this tempeh taco meat) or cooked veggie beef crumbles.
- For spicier chili mac, add a diced jalapeno, use 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder in place of standard chili powder, or add ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Baking dish size: As long as the pasta is mostly covered by liquid, it will cook through. I tested it in my 10x10-inch square baking dish, which is the perfect size, but not necessarily a standard size. Choose a baking dish that is 8x11-inches or larger.
Diane Dornbusch says
Made as per recipe and won't make again. Noodles came out kind of gummy and would season more
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out for you, but thanks for trying it out anyway!
Elizabeth says
I am making this recipe again for tonight's dinner. So delicious and easy to make!
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Thanks so much for the review, Elizabeth!! 🙂
Trent says
I agree on the pasta—I used Barilla Protein+ penne and based on the other comment added it after the first 25 minutes and cooked for another 10 and it was perfect. I threw in a package of impossible hamburger meat pan fried first too.
Linda says
Made this for the first time. At 25 mins. The protein pasta was mushy and the onions were crunchy. I would cook the onions a little and cook with a little less time or maybe different temp?
Cassidy Reeser says
Can you share what brand of protein pasta you used? It might be helpful for others who want to try the protein pasta option. And cooking the peppers & onions first is definitely a good option! I also do have a stovetop chili mac that you might enjoy more.