Vegan Chili Mac Casserole ~
A classic chili mac made with all plant-based ingredients. This one is sure to become a family favorite!
This post really should be titled “Dad’s Chili Mac Goes Vegan.”
Isn’t it funny how just thinking about a certain meal can bring back so many memories?
This classic comfort food takes me back every time.
When I was a kid, my dad made his famous chili mac every weekend so this dish is definitely one of my favorite food memories from childhood.
I can still picture the tiny apartment with its narrow galley kitchen and hear Queen blasting ‘We Will Rock You’ through the speakers of our 70s stereo with the dial tuner.
I’ve tweaked dad’s recipe over the years but not by much.
The main upgrades are swapping meat and dairy for vegan ingredients and the addition of crushed tortilla chips on top.
I hope you love this family favorite as much as we do!
Ingredients for Vegan Chili Mac Casserole:
- 8 ounces elbow pasta
- 1/2 pound plant-based ground beef
- 1/2 cup yellow onion
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 can tomato soup
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 4 ounce can green chiles
- 1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup tortilla chips
- 1/4 cup scallions
How to Make Vegan Chili Mac Casserole:
STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
STEP TWO: Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
STEP THREE: To a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, crumble ground beef substitute and add onion and peppers.
STEP FOUR: Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through and onions and peppers are softened.
STEP FIVE: Add taco seasoning and 1/3 cup water. Stir to coat. Continue cooking until water is reduced.
STEP SIX: Stir in tomato soup, tomatoes, and green chiles.
STEP SEVEN: Stir in cooked pasta.
STEP EIGHT: Into a prepared 11×7-inch baking dish, add the entire mixture. Top with cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.
STEP NINE: Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
STEP TEN: Sprinkle with scallions and serve warm.
Enjoy!
More Old School Recipes You’ll Love!
- Vegan Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy – Serve with mashed potatoes and peas for the full old school experience.
- Blackened Seitan Philly Cheesesteak – Big, bold, and packed with robust flavor!
- Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese – Only 5 ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes!
- Vegan Chicken Pot Pie – This pie is completely devoured by the family every. single. time.
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Vegan Chili Mac Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow pasta
- 1/2 pound plant-based ground beef substitute
- 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 large green bell pepper chopped
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 – 10.75 ounce can tomato soup
- 1 – 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
- 1 – 4 ounce can green chiles
- 1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup tortilla chips crushed
- 1/4 cup scallions sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- To a large deep skillet over medium high heat, crumble ground beef substitute and add onion and peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through and onions and peppers are softened.
- Add taco seasoning and 1/3 cup water. Stir to coat. Continue cooking until water is reduced.
- Stir in tomato soup, tomatoes, and green chiles. Stir in pasta.
- To a prepared 11″ x 7″ baking dish, add the entire mixture. Top with cheese and crumbled tortilla chips. Bake, uncovered 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle with green onions and serve warm.
Nutrition
Lesley
Great recipe!! I doubled the recipe because my husband has a hearty appetite and I rely on leftovers to pack his lunch for work. I used two taco seasoning packets for my doubled recipe. I also sub black beans instead of the beefless crumbles. I have used other chili mac recipes and they have been fine. I really enjoyed this one. This is the one I will use now. I topped it off with cilantro and green onion. I appreciate how easy the recipe is and can reheat well. Definitely a recipe that a non vegan can enjoy too! Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
thiswifecooks
Thank you so much! I love your idea of swapping the beef substitute for black beans. 🙂
Michelle
This was pretty amazing. Have only been eating plant based for a month, but thanks to folks like you as has been an easy transition.
thiswifecooks
You just made my day! Thank you so much! 🙂
Aquaria
Also: Did you mean 14 cups of scallions, or 1/4 cup?
14 cups would be nearly a gallon of scallions! I’m cool with scallions, but that still sounds like overkill.
thiswifecooks
Lol, thanks for pointing out the typo! It’s been corrected to the much more reasonable and manageable amount of 1/4 cup. 🙂
Aquaria
Now I’ve made this for our Meatless Monday, and OMG–So in love! The only thing we did differently was making our own tomato soup rather than using the canned junk. Ours is low in sugar and sodium, both of which we need to stay on top of. I can give you our recipe, if you like. Simple as can be, and totally vegan.
We also used a mung bean fusilli from Whole Foods rather than regular pasta, but pasta is pasta. It doesn’t really matter what kind goes in a dish, as long as it’s close to the same shape/size.
Anyway, this winner is now in our permanent favorite meal rotation. Really appreciate all that people like you do to enable us carnivores to incorporate more plant-based meals into our diet.
thiswifecooks
Fantastic! Thank you so much for posting an update! I would love to try your tomato soup! 😊
Aquaria
Quick and Easy Tomato Soup
4 8 oz cans tomato sauce (we use no-salt, but use what you like).
1 cup Califia Barista Oat Creamer
1.5 tsp brown sugar or brown sugar substitute like Swerve (I’m diabetic, so Swerve it is!)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1/8 tsp white pepper
Dash of hot pepper sauce–Tabasco, Cholula, Frank’s. Doesn’t matter.
Put it all in a pan. Heat it up. That simple.
It tastes exactly like the stuff in a can.
Note: This makes 2 quite large bowls of soup. You can either scale it down to get the portion for this recipe, or take out the 10 ounces and eat the rest for lunch. I did the latter. Two for one meals FTW!
thiswifecooks
I love the simplicity of this recipe! Thank you for sharing it!