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    Home / Recipes / Keto Casserole Recipes

    Chili Mac Recipe - Low Carb Macaroni

    By Lisa MarcAurele · Jul 3, 2020 · 9 Comments

    10.6K shares
    Jump to Recipe
    Chili mac with low carb macaroni

    A spicy ground beef and pasta casserole that can be made with any pasta. But to cut carbs, this chili mac recipe used low carb macaroni.

    Low carb macaroni chili mac recipe
    Article Index
    • Chili Mac Recipe with Low Carb Macaroni
    • Recipe

    I had a craving for pasta and I just happened to have a bag of low carb elbows in the pantry claiming to be low carb. Most of the carbs in this low carb pasta are indigestible so each serving is stated to have 4g of carbs.

    I'm not sure how true it is so I don't eat low carb pasta very often. However, it is a nice thing to have in the house for those times when comfort food cravings kick in.

    As most of you may know, I'm a big fan of casseroles and spicy food. So, I made a low carb macaroni chili mac recipe with ground beef and Mexican spices.

    Preparing the chili mac recipe

    This dish reminds me of the hamburger helper meals I used to make in my college apartment. Of course, that was back in my high carb days when I ate a lot of unhealthy processed foods.

    Both of my kids enjoyed the casserole and didn't even question if it was low carb. It tasted just like the regular thing to them.

    I was happy to sneak in some extra fiber without them knowing it by using the low carb macaroni. I'm thinking I should make it more often since it's got to be better than the high glycemic pasta they usually eat.

    Delicious chili mac recipe

    This chili mac recipe can be tweaked to your liking. I used a Mexican blend of finely shredded cheese which contained mild cheddar, Monterey jack, queso quesadilla and asadero cheese.

    I also used spice packets from a chili kit so the amounts are estimates. I really liked this casserole and will make it again. However, I'll probably use shirataki ziti noodles which I know have negligible carbs.

    If you aren't familiar with shirataki pasta, it's made from konjac which is primarily fiber.

    Easy chili mac recipe

    A lot of people don't like to use shiratake because it doesn't have the same texture as regular pasta. Instead, it's a bit rubbery and slimy. And, it doesn't smell very good right out of the package.

    However, I'd urge you to give it a try. I find the smell and texture do improve when it's properly prepared. The best method is dry roasting the shiratake noodles dry before using.

    But, if you have tried shiratake and just can't make it work for you, there are other options. There are a couple companies that offer better tasting low carb pasta like this one. However, they usually aren't gluten free.

    Chili Mac Recipe with Low Carb Macaroni

    Chili mac recipe with low carb macaroni

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    Recipe

    Chili mac recipe with low carb macaroni

    Chili Mac with Low Carb Macaroni

    4.80 from 5 votes
    A spicy low carb ground beef and pasta casserole that's similar to hamburger helper. This recipe requires low carb macaroni to keep the carbs in check.
    Prep Time:10 mins
    Cook Time:40 mins
    Total Time:50 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe View Collections
    Servings: 9 people
    Calories: 319

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups low carb elbows cooked and drained, I prefer shiratake
    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dried onion flakes
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dried minced garlic
    • 4 teaspoons chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon oregano
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • 2 cups shredded cheese a Mexican blend is perfect
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Cook ground beef with onion and garlic in large skillet over medium heat; pour off drippings. Add tomatoes, and the remaining seasoning; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Toss pasta with meat mixture. Spoon half of mixture into a 9×9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese; top with remaining meat mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese on top. Cover with foil; bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven 25 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

    Notes

    *UPDATE: I no longer use or recommend Dreamfields pasta as it is NOT low carb or gluten free!
    Nutritional data used Miracle Noodles shirataki pasta

    Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

    Nutrition

    Calories: 319 | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 850mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1500IU | Vitamin C: 10.7mg | Calcium: 360mg | Iron: 4.1mg

    Additional Info

    Net Carbs: 4 g | % Carbs: 5.1 % | % Protein: 34.5 % | % Fat: 60.4 % | SmartPoints: 10
    Values
    Array
    (
        [calories] => 319
        [carbohydrates] => 5
        [protein] => 27
        [fat] => 21
        [saturated_fat] => 11
        [monounsaturated_fat] => 4
        [cholesterol] => 86
        [sodium] => 850
        [potassium] => 219
        [fiber] => 1
        [sugar] => 2
        [vitamin_a] => 1500
        [vitamin_c] => 10.7
        [calcium] => 360
        [iron] => 4.1
        [serving_unit] => cup
    )
    

    Notes on Nutritional Information

    Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

    Copyright

    © LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. James

      October 01, 2018 at 2:28 pm

      Do you think this would be fine with the spaghetti shiratake?

      Reply
      • Lisa

        October 02, 2018 at 10:05 am

        I've made it with shiratake and it comes out pretty good if you like those low carb noodles. Some people just can't get past the texture of shiratake.

        Reply
    2. Emily Kemp

      June 19, 2018 at 9:14 am

      5 stars
      Love the sound of this!

      Reply
    3. Kary Hartmann

      March 20, 2018 at 4:25 pm

      how many servings does this make

      Reply
      • Lisa

        March 21, 2018 at 5:30 am

        I get 9 large pieces.

        Reply
    4. Erika

      February 14, 2018 at 5:11 pm

      Is the ingredients list correct on the chili powder and salt? I did one TBS of chili powder and half what it says for salt and it’s very strong.

      Reply
      • Lisa

        February 15, 2018 at 5:50 am

        It may have been 4 teaspoons. That does seem to be a bit much. As for the salt, 1/2 teaspoons should be plenty.

        Reply
    5. Ken

      October 29, 2017 at 11:41 am

      How do you dry roast the the shirataki noodles ?

      Reply
      • Lisa

        October 29, 2017 at 3:37 pm

        The instructions for dry roasting are in this post.

        Reply

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