There are dinners where you try to combine flavors in an innovative and elevated way, and then there are dinners where you are trying to get something on the table quickly, something that you know the whole family will love. Chili Mac is more of the latter – it’s not the most creative cooking project, but it’s a surefire win time and time again. It’s hearty, it’s cheesy, it’s quick, and this version is the best way I know how to make it. This Chili Mac comes together in one pot (no need to boil the macaroni separately!) so it’s the perfect dish to turn to when you’re in need of comfort food in a hurry… or just a crowd-pleasing solution on any given weeknight.

A lot of Chili Mac recipes rely on a can of chili, but since I don’t tend to always have one in the pantry, I prefer recipes that use beef and beans that you season yourself. Such as this. Here, you brown some ground beef with some chopped onions and garlic that you spice up yourself with cumin and chili powder.

Diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and beef broth head into the pot where they’ll bubble away until the macaroni is perfectly tender.

As the noodles cook, they release some of their starch to thicken up the sauce but they also absorb plenty of that chili-kissed tomatoey flavor.

A blanket of cheese is the finishing touch – just cover the pot long enough for it to get nice and melty and ooey-gooey.

I’ve served this for dinner countless times and I’ve never heard a single complaint. It’s the kind of quick meal you and your family never get tired of – your family because it’s the ideal beefy, cheesy comfort food, and you because it’ll only take you about twenty minutes in the kitchen!