Need a frugal yet tasty vegetarian meal? Look no further than this Crock-Pot Vegetarian Chili Mac recipe. Everything is cooked in the slow cooker, even the pasta!
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Mac
Adding macaroni pasta (or any type of pasta) is a great way to stretch a yummy homemade vegetarian chili. This recipe for vegetarian chili mac uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and freezer.
The recipe starts with a few cans…crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth (or water), pinto beans, kidney beans.
Then a bag of frozen seasoning blend (this is a mixture of diced bell peppers, onions and celery) are added to the pot. If you cannot find the frozen kind you can dice up your own onion, peppers and celery too…we just like the frozen blend because it make is easier to get this recipe going on busy days).
Then some spices like chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper are added and the whole shebang is slow cooked for hours.
Next you add in some uncooked macaroni, and let that cook in the chili until done. Add some shredded cheese. Dish up into bowl, topping with some more cheese and a sprinkle of sliced green onions.
And that is all there is to this simple meal!
I love that this recipe is vegetarian and is kid friendly too! The kids don’t even miss the meat at all. Of course if you want to add meat, feel free to brown up some ground beef, ground turkey, ground bison or ground venison and add it to your chili mac. No judgement here!
Equipment Needed For Crock-Pot Vegetarian Chili Mac Recipe:
- 6 Quart, 6.5 Quart Or 7 Quart Slow Cooker
- Can Opener
- Dry Measuring Cups And Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Cheese Grater
- Spoon
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have canned pinto beans or canned kidney beans (like this recipe for Crock-Pot Vegetarian Chili Mac calls for) you can use just about any other type of canned beans such as navy beans, black beans or great northern beans are all great choices.
Goulash is a traditional Hungarian dish made with chunks of beef, peppers, paprika and other spices and is nothing like chili mac at all. However there is an American dish called goulash (may also be known as American Chop Suey) too (we even have a recipe for Crock-Pot American Beef Goulash) that is pasta and tomato based sauce with ground beef in it. Chili mac on the other hand has beans and a chili powder and cumin flavor profile like a traditional chili with the addition of pasta which is a great way to stretch chili.
If you want to play around with flavors and make this chili mac recipe your own you might consider adding ingredients such as canned corn, canned diced tomatoes, black olives, green chilis or jalapeno peppers.
For toppings you can play with different types of cheese such as cheddar cheese, colby jack cheese, pepper jack cheese or a Mexican cheese like queso fresco. Additional toppings could be cilantro, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips.
More Vegetarian Dinner Crock-Pot Recipes To Try!
- Crock-Pot Vegetarian Creamy Tortellini Soup
- Slow Cooker Three Cheese Broccoli Soup
- Crock-Pot Fresh Zucchini Casserole
- Slow Cooker Easy Minestrone
- Crock-Pot White Cheesy Noodles
- Blue WW Plan – 7 Points
- Green WW Plan – 11 Points
- Purple WW Plan – 7 Points
Recipe Collections:
| Rating |
Rate this recipe!
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| Servings | 6Servings |
| Prep Time | 10Minutes |
| Cook Time | 3 - 9Hours |
- 28 Ounces Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 15 Ounces Canned Pinto Beans Rinsed And Drained
- 15 Ounces Canned Kidney Beans Rinse And Drained
- 10 Ounces Frozen Seasoning Mix (Chopped Bell Peppers, Onions And Celery)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 8 Ounces Elbow Macaroni Pasta
- 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese Divided (Or Cheese Of Your Choice)
- 1/2 Cup Sliced Green Onions For Topping
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Ingredients
Servings: Servings
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- In a 6 quart or larger slow cooker combine together the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, pinto beans, kidney beans, frozen seasoning mix. chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 4 hours or on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
- Stir in the dry elbow macaroni pasta, recover the slow cooker and continue to cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pasta is done.
- Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
- Spoon chili mac into bowls and top each bowl with a little of the remaining cheese and sliced green onion and enjoy!
Want to make this recipe vegan? You can use a vegan brand of pasta and cheese and then this chili mac will be totally animal free!
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