Cajun Chili Mac {A Meatless Monday Recipe

Ready in just 30 minutes, this dish is filled with fire-roasted tomatoes, beans, and pasta noodles with spicy, peppery, garlicky hints of smoke. This Cajun Chili Mac is a one-pot wonder that is quick, simple, and a dish the whole family will love!

Ingredients Needed:

• Oil: extra-virgin olive oil
• Flavor: minced garlic and red onions provide a sweet, savory flavor.
• Cooking Liquid: vegetable broth for Meatless Monday. otherwise, use chicken broth.
• Tomatoes: Fire-roasted diced tomatoes give this chili mac a little smokiness.
• Beans: at the base of this chili mac are kidney beans. They provide a fibrous meatiness to help fill you up. Make sure you drain and rinse them to reduce sodium. Read more about that HERE.
• Cajun Seasoning: Use your favorite. The seasoning I used for this recipe is no longer available. Just use your favorite. You can’t go wrong with that!
• Seasoning: Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.
• Pasta: raw elbows pasta was used for this recipe. Just about any noodle will work, so don’t make a special trip to the store. Use what you have on hand!
• Cheese: shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese is added to thicken the sauce. Use extra for serving!
• Herbs: fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley can be chopped, for garnish.

How to make Cajun Chili Mac

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook until onions are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, beans, and Bayou Black seasoning; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and stir in pasta. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through; about 13 to 15 minutes.
3. It will seem like there is an awful lot of liquid in the pot, and you may think that it looks more like a soup, but just let it simmer; you’ll see it thicken up as the pasta cooks.
4. Turn off the heat; top with cheese and cover until melted, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

This quick and easy Cajun Chili Mac is amazing. So good you won’t miss the meat. Try it today!