This Stovetop Chili Mac Casserole is one of my favorite meals for those busy nights when I don’t feel like cooking and I don’t feel like fighting my kids. It’s super quick. I almost always have all the ingredients in my fridge/freezer/pantry (yes, I’ve been informed other people don’t keep V8 in stock, but it’s great in a lot of recipes and I always have it in my kitchen!). My kids and husband absolutely love it. It’s low in calories and high in protein. It’s also a nice divergence from Italian pasta flavors.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Ground turkey – I use turkey because it’s a good source of protein and leaner than ground beef, but you can also use ground beef if that’s what you prefer.
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- V8 juice – This might seem like a weird ingredient, but this tomato-based juice is packed full of flavor!
- Tomato sauce
- Water
- Macaroni – Or other small pasta.
- Pinto beans – Or canned beans of choice.
- Cheddar cheese
- Green or red onions –For garnish.
- Cilantro – For garnish.
How to Make Stovetop Chili Mac Casserole
- To get started, chop a medium onion, a medium bell pepper (any color), and 3-4 cloves of garlic. Heat a 12″ skillet that has a lid over medium heat. Add some extra-lean ground beef or turkey and cook, stirring frequently, until about halfway cooked. Add onions, garlic, and pepper as well chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper and cook until the meat is cooked through and the onions are tender.
- Add some V8 juice, tomato sauce, and a little water and bring to a boil. Add some macaroni-ish pasta… and stir to combine and then cover, reduce heat, and cook for 15-ish minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Add a can of drained pinto beans… and heat through.
- Remove from heat, sprinkle with shredded cheese, and replace the lid for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with onions and chopped cilantro (if desired) and serve immediately.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Freeze individual portions for easy lunches during the week!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yep! This meal reheats well.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Absolutely, just use your favorite gluten-free noodles.
Can I make this dairy-free?
Sure, just leave out the cheese!
Stovetop Chili Mac Casserole
A quick and easy meal your whole family will love that's around 300 calories per serving, low in fat, and high in protein!
Servings servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground turkey 93% extra lean, or ground beef if you prefer
- 1 onion medium, chopped
- 1 bell pepper any color, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 cups V8 juice
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 8 ounces macaroni or other small pasta
- 1 can pinto beans drained
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup green or red onions chopped
- ½ cup cilantro chopped, optional
Instructions
- Heat a 12″ skillet that has a lid over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until about halfway cooked. Add onions, garlic, and pepper as well as the seasonings and cook until the meat is cooked through and the onions are tender.
- Add the V8 juice, tomato sauce, and water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and stir to combine and then cover, reduce heat, and cook for 15-ish minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Add the beans and heat through. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cheese, and replace the lid for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with onions and serve immediately.
Notes
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Freeze individual portions for easy lunches during the week!
Nutrition
Calories: 341kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 60mg, Sodium: 513mg, Potassium: 592mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1737IU, Vitamin C: 52mg, Calcium: 176mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 341kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
Made this tonight and totally messed up and used double the amount and all the seasonings and it ended up being seasoned perfectly. Thanks for the recipe!
Silly question but is the pasta cooked when you add to the pot?
Thanks!
Not silly at all–uncooked! 🙂
I tried to upload your weeknight chili recipe on My Fitness Pal last night and it came up with some outrageous amount for calories. When looking closer at the ingredients, it was showing that 4 cloves of garlic were over 1,700 calories!
IT TOTALLY WAS THE GARLIC!!!
I used the recipe builder in MFP. It was going completely bonkers with the garlic. It calculated 1500 calories for the garlic cloves!!! I just searched for an alternative.
I chose alternatives for the meat, macaroni, and a few other ingredients, and it was 326 calories per serving. I’m so going to cook this.
Thanks for helping me feel empowered to cook by sharing recipes that are delicious and easy to follow successfully!
Do you think this would be ok if I used plain tomato juice instead of the V8? Its what I have in the pantry. Looks delicious and easy. Cant wait to try it.
Yes, totall!!
Yes, totally!!
Sounds like another winner. Thanks!
This looks so good. My kiddo has been asking for Mac & cheese for weeks. I wonder if he will go for this.
Whenever I enter a recipe in my fitness pal, it says there are 3000 calories in the garlic. Maybe that’s why you got a crazy number?
I was going to say the same thing. Garlic and cinnamon are 2 things where the calorie count is WAY off…
This looks so good! And it seems so indulgent for the amount of calories it actually is. Can’t wait to try. I was having calorie counting issues with your Hawaiian sloppy joes yesterday. Your cookbook says 319/serving but, using multiple calorie counters, I always ended up with just over 200 calories a serving. Weird! Those sloppy joes were amazing, by the way!
I hope that didn’t sound accusatory or something. Totally not what I meant. Just thought it was funny we both had calculation issues with my fitness pal
Oh, no, totally!! It’s super weird. Uh, I mean, stop accusing me of stuff, Carly! 😉
This looks so delicious! I need to try this asap!
Paige
I’ve had that issue on MFP a few times. Just go through the ingredient list that shows how many calories each are adding to the dish. You’ll find one that is abnormally high, for some reason and is throwing the whole recipe off. Just choose another version of the same ingredient and the problem should be resolved. On the whole, I LOVE their recipe builder!