Crockpot Chili That Becomes Chili Mac – Two for One Meal
One crock-pot meal. Two easy dinners.
This crockpot chili that becomes chili mac… is one of my favorite cold-month dinners because it does double duty. We start with a simple crock-pot chili… tasty, flexible, and great for busy days, and then the next night we turn the leftovers into a Cincinnati-style chili mac with just a few small additions.
Most of the work is already done, and since the crock-pot does the heavy lifting, dinner for two nights feels low-key instead of rushed. This is an easy two-for-one dinner idea for busy weeknights, cold weather meals, or anyone who loves leftovers that don’t feel repetitive… especially if you skip a night between the meals!
Quick note: Any chili will work here. If you already have a favorite chili recipe, use it! This version is intentionally simple and adaptable.
Night One: Crock-Pot Chili
Traditional chili, especially Texas-style chili, was originally made with chunks of meat, dried chiles, and spices no beans or ground meat. Over time, home cooks adapted it to fit their ingredients and tastes… stretching meals with beans, tomatoes, and whatever made sense for their family.
This is a basic, family-friendly chili meant to work as a foundation, not a competition chili.
Ingredients:
- Ground beef or ground turkey (vegetarian option below)
- Chopped sweet peppers
- Chopped celery
- Canned crushed tomatoes
- Beans (any kind you like, I normally add a blend (kidney and black), but I was out and used northern this time. Literally any bean you like will work)
- Canned or frozen corn
- Water (for deeper flavor add broth)
- Tomato paste
- Chili powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Cayenne pepper
- Hot sauce
- Salt & pepper
Instructions:
- Brown the meat and onions in a skillet.
- Add all ingredients to the Crock-Pot.
- Cook on low for 9–10 hours or high for 5–6 hours.
- Serve as classic chili on night one.
👉 Important: Save 6–8 cups of chili for tomorrow night’s chili mac. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Chili Topping Ideas (Night One)
Let everyone customize their bowl:
- Shredded cheddar or Colby Jack
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Crackers, cornbread, even tortilla chips
- Green onions
- Hot sauce
Vegetarian Option
Skip the meat and add:
- 2 cans of extra beans
- ½–1 pound chopped mushrooms for texture
Night Two: Cincinnati-Style Chili Mac
Chili mac is a beloved comfort food that combines chili and pasta (usually spaghetti), but Cincinnati-style chili takes it a step further. Influenced by Greek immigrants in the early 1900s, it’s typically thinner, lightly spiced with warm flavors like cinnamon and cocoa, and served over pasta with cheese.
This version is a family-friendly nod to that tradition… not strict, not fancy, just yummy and incredibly practical.
What You’ll Add:
- cooked pasta (whichever you’d like)
- unsweetened chocolate or cocoa powder
- ground cinnamon
- ground allspice
- ground cloves
- shredded cheddar cheese
- chopped red onion (optional)
How to Turn Chili into Chili Mac
- Cook the pasta according to package
- Heat up leftover chili and add everything but cheese and onion. Stir gently and warm through, adjusting spices to taste.
- Serve chili over pasta and add cheese and onion as topping
Dinner is ready in minutes because the base is already done.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
These are things I actually use and recommend.
- Slow cooker or Crock-Pot (I have had luck with the Crock-Pot brand, they are budget friendly but made in China. When I upgrade, I plan on buying one from 360 Cookware (not an affiliated link). They are made in the USA and are high quality)
- Storage containers for leftovers – I often use my Ball Mason Jars for storing food. Both are made in the US, and I am trying to avoid plastic, however, they aren’t good for everything. I also use Pyrex for storage, and this Pyrex set is made in the USA.
- Cheese grater (buying block cheese is usually cheaper)
- Dutch oven for reheating (this is for a Lodge 7.5 qt enameled Dutch Oven and part of their made in the USA series, at least at the time of writing this. I do like Lodge, but less and less is made in the U.S.)
👉 Find my favorite kitchen tools here
More Two-for-One Crock-Pot Meals
This recipe is part of my Two-for-One Meals series… meals that do most of the work once and feed you twice. Some are done in the crock-pot and others are not, but all are made to make things easier on busy families!
If you try this crockpot chili that becomes chili mac, I’d love to hear how your family made it your own! Comment below or head to Instagram or Facebook and tag me @bemandfam in the picture… I’d love to know your favorite topping combinations!
BEM and Fam 🙂
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🛒PS. This post has some affiliate links, read more about those here.
👇 Print the Crock Pot Chili That Becomes Chili Mac Recipe
Enjoy this 2 for 1 meal
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 onions diced
- 2 bell peppers diced
- 2-3 stalks of celery diced
- 2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes if using home canned tomatoes, feel free to use 2 quarts
- 2 cans of kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups broth beef, veggie, or chicken
- 1 can can of corn drained
- 1 6 oz can of tomato paste
- 2-3 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1-2 tsp hot sauce to taste, your favorite
- 6-8 cups of chili reserved from chili
- pasta any box of pasta you'd like, though spaghetti is often used.
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground allspice
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- shredded cheese topping
- chopped red onion topping
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Brown the meat and set aside
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Cut onions and celery and sauté in skillet used to brown meat for 3-5 minutes
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Drain and rinse the beans, drain the corn, add them and everything else (including the meat, onions, and celery) to the crockpot. Set the crockpot on low for 9-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
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Save 6-8 cups for the chili mac and serve the rest as chili with your favorite toppings.
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Make your pasta according to the instructions, set aside or cook while heating chili
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In a saucepan, add reserved chili and stir in the chocolate, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Stir well and heat on medium until heated thoroughly.
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Serve chili over pasta and add your favorite toppings (onions, cheese, or whatever you like)
Vegetarian Option
Skip the meat and add:
- 2 cans of extra beans
- ½–1 pound chopped mushrooms for texture
