My dad relied on this incredibly filling and cheesy dinner to feed us hungry kids on a tight budget. Just 4 ingredients make the ultimate hearty meal packed with savory flavor and gooey goodness.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient chili mac is exactly the kind of dinner my dad leaned on when money was tight and all of us kids came home absolutely starving from school and sports. It’s thick, cheesy, and ridiculously comforting—basically a big hug in a bowl. Everything goes into the slow cooker, and a few hours later you’ve got tender pasta swimming in a rich, beefy chili sauce with a gooey layer of cheddar on top. It’s a true budget hero: pantry-friendly, kid-approved, and hearty enough to keep everyone full all evening with almost no effort.

Scoop big ladles of chili mac into bowls and top with a little extra shredded cheddar if you have it. It’s great with simple sides like a bagged salad, carrot sticks, or buttered frozen corn. Warm dinner rolls or garlic bread are perfect for dunking into the saucy bottom of the bowl. If you want to stretch it even further, serve with tortilla chips for scooping or a side of steamed broccoli. A cold glass of milk for the kids or an iced tea for the adults balances the rich, cheesy flavor.

Servings: 6

2 (15-ounce) cans chili with beans

Lightly spray the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray for easier cleanup.

Add the canned chili with beans and beef broth to the slow cooker. Stir well until the chili is loosened and the mixture looks mostly smooth and combined.

Cover and cook the chili mixture on LOW for 2 to 3 hours, or on HIGH for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it is bubbling around the edges and hot all the way through.

Stir in the dry elbow macaroni, making sure all the noodles are pushed down and submerged in the chili mixture so they cook evenly.

Sprinkle 2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese over the top, then gently stir it in so it melts into the sauce and starts to make everything thick and creamy.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the macaroni is tender but not mushy. Slow cookers can vary, so start checking the pasta at about 15 minutes.

Once the macaroni is cooked to your liking, give everything a good stir, then smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the surface.

Cover again and let sit on WARM or LOW for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the cheese on top is fully melted and gooey. The chili mac will thicken as it stands.

Serve the chili mac straight from the slow cooker while it’s hot and extra cheesy. If the mixture gets too thick as it sits, you can stir in a splash of hot water or broth to loosen it back up.

To keep this a true 4-ingredient, budget-friendly recipe, I stick with canned chili, broth, pasta, and cheese—but you can still tweak it a bit. For a thicker, extra-hearty version, reduce the beef broth by 1/2 cup. For a looser, soupier chili mac, add up to 1/2 cup more broth. If your family likes a little kick, use a spicy canned chili or stir in a pinch of crushed red pepper when you add the pasta. You can swap the cheddar for a cheddar-jack blend or Colby if that’s what you have. Elbow macaroni works best, but other small shapes like small shells or rotini will do; just start checking a few minutes earlier, since different shapes cook at different speeds in the slow cooker. To prep ahead, you can combine the chili and broth in the slow cooker insert the night before and refrigerate; in the morning, set it in the base and start cooking, then add the pasta and cheese later as directed. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce, making this a great pack-and-go lunch for the next day.