Veggie Chili Mac and Cheese
Veggie Chili Mac and Cheese
The panko crust on top of this veggie chili mac and cheese is the whole move. It cracks when you hit it with a spoon, and then you’re into fire-roasted tomatoes, two kinds of beans, and melted cheddar, all cooked in one cast iron.
The panko crust is the point, and texture usually is in our Kinder’s recipes.
This is chili and mac and cheese built at the same time, in the same pan. You cook the vegetables down, add the tomatoes and beans, then drop the dry elbow macaroni straight into the boiling chili. The pasta absorbs everything, the fire-roasted corn sweetness, the green chile heat, the lime, and the result is dense, saucy, and nothing like the blue box.
The panko topping is what separates this from just chili with pasta. Toast it in butter with garlic, spread it over the top, run it under the broiler for 3–5 minutes. You get a golden crust on a dish that would otherwise be good but forgettable.
Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes in the same pot give this depth most chili recipes miss. The corn adds sweetness. Kidney beans and chili beans, or black beans, your call, give it body. Shredded cheddar stirred in off the heat keeps the cheese smooth instead of broken.
This is the cast iron dish you make on a weeknight when you want something with real weight to it.
Flavor First.
Veggie Chili Mac ‘N Cheese
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- MAIN — Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet on medium heat.
- MAIN — Once hot, add onion, bell pepper, carrot, 2 garlic cloves and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
- MAIN — Add chili powder, lime juice, green chiles, and corn. Stir to combine.
- MAIN — Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beans and vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Raise heat and bring to a boil.
- MAIN — Once boiling, add macaroni and continue to boil, stirring occasionally until cooked through, about 9-12 minutes.
- MAIN — Stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- TOPPING — Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add panko bread crumbs, the rest of the garlic, salt and stir until golden brown.
- FINAL STEPS — Spread topping over macaroni and cheese.
- FINAL STEPS — Broil on high in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
- FINAL STEPS — Garnish with green onions and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
- Don’t overcook the macaroni — Pull it at 9 minutes. The pasta keeps cooking after you stir in the cheese and again under the broiler. Soft pasta kills this dish.
- Shred the cheddar yourself — Pre-shredded has a starch coating that makes the sauce grainy. Pull a block and shred it while the pasta cooks.
- Toast the panko last — Make the breadcrumb topping right before spreading it over the chili mac. Even 5 minutes of sitting and it starts absorbing moisture and loses its crunch.
- Add cream for extra richness — Stir in ½ cup heavy cream right before the shredded cheese if you want it saucier. Makes a noticeable difference.
- Control the heat with the chiles — 4 oz diced green chiles is mild. Double it, add a pinch of cayenne with the chili powder, or finish with pickled jalapeños to dial up the heat.
- Cast iron handles the broiler — Traditional cast iron goes straight from stovetop to broiler with no issues. If you’re using a different oven-safe skillet, confirm the handle is metal before running it under high heat.
- A crisp green salad with lime vinaigrette cuts through the richness without fighting it. Shaved cabbage, radishes, or jicama add crunch that holds up against the heavy pan.
- Cornbread is the obvious move here — a slice on the side or crumbled on top adds sweetness that plays off the chili heat. Crusty sourdough does the same job if cornbread isn’t happening.
- Keep the garnishes focused: green onions and a squeeze of fresh lime are already built into the recipe. Pickled jalapeños add brine and extra heat. A spoonful of sour cream or crema cools the whole thing down if you went heavy on the chiles.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. The macaroni keeps absorbing liquid as it sits — leftovers will be denser than day one, but the flavors get better overnight.
- Reheat in a 350°F oven covered with foil, or microwave with a splash of vegetable broth stirred in to loosen the pasta. Either way works.
- The panko topping won’t be crispy after refrigeration no matter how you reheat it. If you want the crunch back, toast a fresh batch of breadcrumbs and sprinkle them over the top before serving — two minutes, worth it.
- Don’t freeze this. Pasta texture breaks down and the cheese sauce separates.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make veggie chili mac and cheese ahead of time?
Make the chili base a day ahead and refrigerate it. Add the pasta and cook it the day you’re serving, macaroni sitting overnight in liquid turns mushy. The panko topping should always be made fresh, right before broiling.
What’s the best cheese for chili mac and cheese?
Sharp cheddar is the call. Mild cheddar works but tastes flat against everything else in this pan. Mix in Monterey Jack for extra meltability, about 1 cup Jack to 2 cups cheddar is a solid ratio.
Can I make this without a cast iron skillet?
Any oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven works. The pan needs to go under the broiler. If your skillet isn’t broiler-safe, skip the broil step and serve straight from the stovetop, the toasted panko will still be good, just not crusted.
How do I add more heat to this veggie chili mac?
Double the diced green chiles, add cayenne with the chili powder, or finish with pickled jalapeños. The base is mild, the green chiles are the primary heat source and 4 oz doesn’t push hard.
Is this recipe vegan?
No. It uses cheddar cheese, butter for the panko, and optionally heavy cream. To make it vegan, swap in dairy-free cheese, vegan butter, and skip the cream. The chili base itself is fully plant-based.
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Elbows are ideal, the curves hold sauce. Rotini and shells work well too. Skip long pasta shapes; they don’t cook evenly in the chili broth and are harder to scoop.
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