Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the chopped onion, chopped red bell pepper, pinto beans, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, ground cumin, salt, black pepper, and vegetable broth into the slow cooker. Stir everything together until well combined. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6–8 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded.
- Once the initial cook time is done, stir in the uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni. Re-cover and cook on high for an additional 15–20 minutes, checking the pasta at the 15-minute mark, until it is tender but not overdone.
- When the pasta is cooked through, stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese and let it melt completely into the chili, creating a creamy, cohesive sauce.
- Ladle the chili mac into bowls and top each serving with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and a generous sprinkle of chopped green onions. Serve hot.
Notes
The cook time listed reflects the high-heat slow cooker setting (4 hours); on low, plan for 6–8 hours before adding the pasta. Check the macaroni at the 15-minute mark since whole wheat pasta can go from tender to mushy quickly in the residual heat of the slow cooker. If the chili looks very thick before you stir in the pasta, splash in a little extra vegetable broth or water to keep it saucy. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; add a splash of broth when reheating to loosen the texture. Freezing is not recommended, as the cooked pasta breaks down after thawing — if you want to freeze a batch, prepare the chili base without the pasta and cheese and add those fresh when you reheat.