Keto chili mac and cheese is a delicious comfort food dish made healthy. Swap chopped cauliflower for the pasta for a hearty low carb meal.
Oh the weather outside is frightful, but this keto chili mac is so delightful.
Seriously, it’s absolutely ghastly here in Portland, with driving rain and gusty winds, and it’s been like that for weeks. We see peeks of sun here and there for maybe 20 minutes at a time, and then the rain takes over again.
And they are predicting snow next week, which if you know anything about Portland, you know that even an inch will bring the whole city to a grinding halt. Because we simply don’t have the snow removal equipment and it often turns icy and treacherous quickly.
So if there are multiple snow days next week, I am going to armed with ridiculous amounts of keto comfort food, like this Cauliflower Chili Mac and Cheese.
Behold the versatile cauliflower
Let me first be clear that I labor under no illusions that cauliflower is really macaroni. I am not that crazy – not yet, anyway.
And some reader or other is surely going to take me to task for suggesting that cauliflower can replace macaroni in any way, shape, or form. But I thumb my nose at those naysayers because I am enjoying a big bowl of keto chili mac with non-macaroni and my mouth is too full to say anything.
The reality is that when you start on a keto diet, you have to make some compromises and accommodations. If you are constantly searching for replacements for old favourites that taste, feel, and behave exactly the same, you will surely be disappointed. And you will likely jump ship from your healthy new lifestyle early on.
It’s time to change your expectations, and embrace cauliflower for what it is. It’s delicious in its own right and exceptionally versatile at playing the role of some of your old standbys. Such as cauliflower “potato” salad, cauliflower risotto, and cauliflower shepherd’s pie.
Cauliflower can play the role of rice and potatoes, so why not pasta too? I already have a lovely cauliflower mac and cheese recipe, but I was drawn to some delicious looking Chili Mac on Pinterest, and decided that cauliflower could be good in that too. And oh it really is delicious!
How to make keto chili mac
There’s nothing earth-shattering about this recipe or the method. Just like regular chili mac, you whip yourself up a nice pot of chili, first and foremost.
Of course, keto chili is bean-free so that helps cut down the carb count. I also always keep my onion to a bare minimum for flavour, since onions have surprising amount of carbs.
Once the chili is nicely cooked and simmered through, you add chopped raw cauliflower. I cut mine even smaller than the natural florets, into 1 inch pieces, so they resembled macaroni a little bit more.
Unlike macaroni, however, cauliflower doesn’t absorb any liquid. In fact, it tends to release liquid, so there’s no need to add broth or water to the chili. And cauliflower cooks quickly as well, so you will only need 10 to 15 minutes for it to be tender.
Finally, grab a brick of your favorite cheddar (I used Cabot Colby Jack), grate it, and stir it in.
What do you end up with? Rich, hearty keto comfort food that won’t spike your blood sugar or add inches to your hips. Who needs macaroni when keto food is this good?
Want more keto comfort food recipes?
Keto Chili Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp bacon grease , Sub any oil or fat
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 14 ounce can tomato puree
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Heat the bacon grease or other oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the beef and cook until mostly cooked through with a little pink remaining, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon.
- Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook until fragrant, one more minute. Stir in the tomatoes.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the cauliflower and continue to cook until tender, another 15 minutes or so.
- Add the cheese and stir in until melted. Serve with your favorite chili toppings such as sour cream and avocado.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I made this for lunch today. My husband and I both loved it! It will definitely get added to the regular rotation of favorite recipes. I’m always so impressed when I try one of your recipes for the first time. It always comes out perfect. Thank you for all you do to make consistently great and easy to follow recipes! Most of what I cook these days comes from your site.
Thank you!
OMGGGGG Carolyn! I made this for the first time tonight and it was freakin’ AHHHMAZING!!!!!!!
Probably THE BEST last minute what am I going to make for dinner tonight meal I’ve ever had!! Can’t thank you enough and can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow!!!! Lolol. It might even be breakfast! Hahahahaha
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for dinner last night. I ended up using ground pork sausage since that’s all I had and also used a can of diced tomatoes rather than puree. Ended up adding a couple tablespooons of tomato paste to help thicken it a bit. Worked beautifully! I added maybe a cup or a little less of chicken broth since the chili came out a little thicker than I wanted. But the flavors are delicious and I can’t wait for leftovers tonight! Next time I make it I’ll definitely use ground beef and the puree.
My entire family loved this! Even our daughter that doesn’t eat low carb. I highly recommend this for those chilly days/nights.
I made this tonight and wow! I didn’t measure (I’m bad about that), so my dish wasn’t liquidity but perfect consistency. I also used ground turkey just because of cost. It was so delicious! One of my new favorite dishes.
Do you think a package of frozen riced cauliflower would work?
It will work but not the same way. I’d just make the chili and then dump that in at the end and cook until heated through.
I made this today and it was excellent! My husband loved it as well. I wasn’t sure how he would react to the cauliflower, but he actually loved the texture of it. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes. I will be making this a lot this Winter.
This looks amazing. I do a lot of veg in my chili.. wonder if that would still be good in this recipe?
How many cups or oz. of cauliflower would you say a small head is? BTW, love all your recipes.
About 300g.
Made the Chili Mac tonight. Glad I made a double batch because it’s delicious!
So good! I love this dish!
This was delish! Only had diced tomatoes so added some chicken bone broth. Turned out great!
Just made this and I love it! Even my toddler liked it and it’s a bit Spicy for her but it was that yummy! With avocado, scallions and sour cream…omg so delicious. Im stuffed lol great recipe…thank you!
Ive been a fan of your keto recipes for a long time now. I never have to switch things up or go searching for insane items lol! I absolutely lobe this chili cauli mac recipe it was very delicious! Thank you
So glad to hear that!
This is our go too for chili. It is very yummy!
ANOTHER recipe checked off from your The Best Ground Beef Recipes post! I’m so pleased I chose the Chili Mac over a traditional chili….it was enjoyed by both keto and non-keto family members. (I also ‘over-simmered” and had to add a bit of water before adding the cauliflower–no problem, came out great.)