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
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!
Questions & Reviews
Just made this last night for dinner. Quick. Easy. Perfect! One question though…I know that it’s under 300 cal per serving, but how much is a serving?
I just died it to MFP and it had the chili powder at almost 2000 calories! Plus keep in mind it defaults to only one serving so make sure you are adjusting it to the correct number of servings!
Added not died….oops….
I didn’t love this until I added a little heavy cream at the end. It just needed a little something extra. I’ve found that I don’t love a lot of one pot dinners where you cook the noodles with everything. But if you just add a drizzle of cream at the very end, they become magical.
So I didn’t have V8 on hand, so I used condensed tomato soup, slightly watered down. Not my proudest moment, but it STILL turned out awesome. Also, I didn’t have pinto, so I used Great Northern – also still awesome 🙂
So I didn’t have v8 juice and really wanted to make this recipe so I tried using my vitamix and making my modified v8 juice. Turned out ok but I thought you probably have a better way to make v8 juice
Yep, totally having same problems on MFP. It is always the spices. Either garlic cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, onion powder, etc. I always double check when I enter my own recipes. Not sure why it does that. But this looks delish, I think it is calling my family’s name for tomorrow night, since we go to tumbling like a bajillion miles away (not really…but feels like that). Thanks for all these new fabulous healthy recipes, they have been so helpful with being able to stay on track with eating healthy.
This was a great weeknight kid meal! My husband called it poor man food but he had seconds 🙂