When I have a super busy day or just don’t feel like cooking, I whip out this chicken chili mac in a jar. It’s a “just add water” mix, plus a few more ingredients like a can of diced tomatoes and macaroni noodles.
Picture chili that’s lighter on the tomato sauce with macaroni pasta mixed in. It’s fast, it’s delicious, and it’s FRUGAL.
Tips for Making This Chicken Chili Mac
We’ve made this successfully with canned chicken chunks—(2) 12-ounce cans.
If you meal prep and have shredded chicken on hand, this recipe works well with about 3-4 cups of pulled chicken or even 1 pound of ground chicken.
Next time I make it, I’ll probably use a can of cubed venison. Of course, fresh ground beef would work beautifully as well!
Since this is a “meal in a jar,” it calls for tomato powder. However, you can certainly swap that out for a can of tomato sauce. If you go this route, just decrease the water by 1 cup.
Instead of “cream of soup” powder, you can use 1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup.
Likewise, the recipe calls for dehydrated beans, but you can use one can each of whatever beans you like. For each can of beans you use, decrease the water called for by 1 cup.
Important Note: Dehydrated beans are not the same as dried beans. When you buy beans from the store, they are “dried beans.” Dehydrated beans are dry beans that have been fully cooked, then dehydrated to create “instant beans.”
If you prefer video, there is a video tutorial at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
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Fast Chicken Chili Mac
Turn to this delicious chicken chili mac when you need a frugal meal fast. The macaroni noodles add a fun twist to this classic chicken chili dish.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tomato powder
- 1/2 cup cheese powder
- 1 1/3 cup “cream of soup” powder
- 1 cup dehydrated pinto beans
- 1 cup dehydrated navy beans
- 4 tablespoons minced onion
- 4 tablespoons dried, chopped bell peppers
- 1 can diced tomatoes (with juice)
- 2 cups macaroni noodles
- 1 lb meat of choice, pre-cooked (or canned)
- 7 cups water
Instructions
1. Add all dry ingredients to a quart-sized Mason jar. Do *not* vacuum seal due to the tomato powder. This mixture will be shelf-stable for up to a year.
To Make
1. Bring 7 cups of water to a boil.
2. To the pot, add contents of the jar along with a can of diced tomatoes (don’t drain), cooked meat, and macaroni.
3. Mix well. Lower to a simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally.
Notes
You may swap any dehydrated ingredient for its canned version. For instance, 1 cup of dehydrated pinto beans can be substituted for 1 can of pinto beans. For every dehydrated ingredient that you substitute with canned (or fresh), decrease the water amount by 1 cup.
If you prefer, you can use kidney beans and chili beans instead.
Dehydrated beans are not the same as dried beans. Dehydrated beans are dry beans that have been fully cooked, then dehydrated for “instant beans.”
This recipe works great with 2 cans of canned chicken, or 1 pint of canned meat (whether that be ground beef, cubed venison, etc).
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Sorry to be a problem child, lol. I know this is chili, and chili usually requires tomatoes. Do you have any recipes for a tomato-less chili, or modifications for someone who can’t have tomatoes? I’d love to try your recipe, but tomatoes are not the best for one of my family members.
Not a problem at all! We’ve dealt with severe food sensitivities in the past as well. Nightshades were one of them.
We will also be posting a “cream cheese chili” recipe soon. It’s far from traditional-style chili, but I wonder if that would be an option for you?
It doesn’t have a tomato sauce at all but does typically have a can of diced tomatoes. However, it can be eliminated. To replace that “chunky” texture, I would just add an extra can of beans to keep it nice and hearty.
I don’t have that recipe typed up yet, but would you like us to email you when it’s ready?
Hey Jordan, that sounds great! The only thing is that I can’t have dairy either, lol. But beans we can all do! 🙂
Please email me when you have it ready, and thanks so much for doing the challenge and sharing with us! I just finished shredding some chicken! 🙂