Macaroni and cheese is delicious enough as it is though chili mac takes things to an entirely new level. If you’ve never had it before, this chili mac casserole comes packed with all the heartiest ingredients including beans, cheese, macaroni and of course beef. If you try it once you’re sure to want it again and again. Here’s how you make it:

1 cup of uncooked macaroni
2 pounds of ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of chopped green chilies
1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese

1. Cook your macaroni according to the package, drain and set aside.
2. In a big skillet, cook your beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until all the pink is cooked out. Drain the excess fat.
3. Add your tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, chilis and seasonings. Add the cooked macaroni in as well.
4. Pour everything into a sprayed-down baking dish.
5. Bake the casserole, covered, at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
6. After that, uncover the dish and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake it for another five to eight minutes.
7. Top the dish with sliced green onions and serve!

If you’re a fan of Mexican or southwestern dishes and you don’t mind a little spice, this recipe is the one for you. Though it shares some similarities with enchiladas, it’s a little easier to make and may taste even better. Here’s how you make it:

2 pounds of ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 tablespoons of chili powder
2-3 teaspoons of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of salt
4 flour tortillas
1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can of diced tomatoes and chilis

1. Get out a big skillet and cook your beef and onions until all the pink is out. Drain the excess fat.
2. Add your beans, chili powder, cumin and salt and mix everything together.
3. When it’s cooked, pour everything into a baking dish. Put your tortillas on top of it all.
4. Mix your soup and tomatoes together and pour that over the tortillas. Sprinkle cheese on top.
5. Bake the dish at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. When it’s bubbly, serve!

To keep things as straightforward as possible, why not try this tasty hamburger casserole? Though it’s not quite the same thing as having a hamburger on a bun, it still has a nice balance of meaty flavor and potatoes, all with plenty of other spices and tastes mixed in. Here’s how you do it:

2 pounds of ground beef
4 pounds of potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of beef bouillon granules
1 cup of boiling water
1 can of diced tomatoes
minced parsley

1. Start by layering half your meat, potatoes and onion together in a Dutch oven.
2. Sprinkle half of your salt and pepper on top and repeat the layers again.
3. Dissolve your bouillon in water and pour the mixture on top of everything else.
4. Add tomatoes on top.
5. Cover the Dutch oven and cook it over medium heat for 45 to 50 minutes.
6. Make sure the potatoes are tender and serve! Top with parsley.

If you want to add a few more veggies to your casserole, why not try this delicious cabbage roll casserole? Though it still has plenty of meaty flavor that you’re sure to love, the cabbage goes in right along with it and creates a beautiful blend of flavors. Here’s how you do it:

2 pounds of ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of minced garlic
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of dill weed
1/2 teaspoon of rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 cups of cooked rice
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 head of shredded cabbage
1 cup of shredded mozzarella
ground pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Get out a skillet and cook your beef and onion over medium heat, cooking out all the pink
3. Add your garlic and let it cook for another minute before draining the excess fat.
4. Stir in one can of tomato sauce along with your thyme, dill weed, sage, salt, pepper and cayenne.
5. Bring everything to a boil before turning the heat down, covering it and simmering for five minutes.
6. Stir in the rice and bacon before bringing it all off the heat.
7. Layer a third of the cabbage into a greased baking dish. Top it with half of your meat mix and repeat the layers.
8. Pour the rest of your tomato sauce on top before covering and baking for 45 minutes.
9. Uncover the casserole and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake again for 10 more minutes.
10. Let it sit for five minutes before sprinkling coarse pepper on top and serving.

If you like tacos and Mexican food in general, you can’t go wrong with a taco salad casserole. Much like the non-casserole version, this dish is a medley of all your favorite ingredients like beef, cheese, green pepper and all kinds of other taco toppings. If you’re looking for something hearty and delicious with just a little spice, this is bound to become a new favorite. Here’s how you make it:

1 pound of ground beef
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1/4 cup of chopped green pepper
1 packet of taco seasoning
1/2 cup of water
1 cup of crushed tortilla chips
1 can of refried beans
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
taco toppings

1. Cook your beef, onion and green pepper in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook out all the pink and drain the excess fat.
2. Stir in your taco seasoning and water and keep cooking and stirring for three minutes. When it thickens, set it aside.
3. Put your chips in a greased baking dish. In a side bowl, stir up your refried beans and spread them on top.
4. Top everything with your beef mix and cheese.
5. Bake the dish uncovered at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. When it’s all cooked, top the dish with lettuce, tomatoes and olives and other toppings and serve!

When it comes to spicier dishes that also have an interesting kick of additional flavor, it doesn’t get much better than this cajun beef casserole. Although all the ingredients are simple, the result is a rich and flavorful dish that your family and friends are sure to love. Here’s how you make it:

1 package of cornbread mix
1 pound of ground beef
2 cans of diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups of mixed vegetables, thawed
1 can of tomato paste
1-2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
2 sliced green onions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make your cornbread mix according to the instructions and spread it into a greased baking dish.
3. Cook your beef in a skillet over medium heat before draining the excess fat.
4. Add your tomatoes, vegetables, tomato paste and seasoning and bring everything to a boil.
5. Turn your heat down and simmer the mix for five minutes, uncovered.
6. Pour the mix over your batter and sprinkle cheese on top of it all.
7. Bake the whole dish, uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes.
8. When it’s done, sprinkle the onions on top and serve!

In fitting with the trend of spicy and Tex-Mex inspired recipes, this Frito pie is another great dish to try out. Though it’s clearly a little bit more Americanized than some of the other ones we’ve listed, it remains a simple and delicious way to throw together a cheesy and beefy dinner for the whole family. If you like Fritos and you like hearty casserole dishes, this one is sure to be a hit. Here’s how you make it:

1 pound of ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cans of ranch-style beans
1 bag of Fritos
2 cans of enchilada sauce
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
sliced green onions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a big skillet, cook your beef and onion together for about six to eight minutes until all the pink is cooked out. Drain the excess fat.
3. Stir in the beans and heat everything all the way through.
4. Put your corn chips in a greased baking dish, saving one cup. Layer the meat mix, enchilada sauce and cheese on top.
5. Top everything with the rest of the chips and bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. When it’s done, sprinkle green onions on top.

To work a little bit of Italian flavor into your casserole dishes, this baked spaghetti is a great option. While traditional spaghetti can get a little old if you have it all the time, this recipe gives it all a new presentation and a new texture—with all your favorite flavors still intact. Here’s how you make it:

8 ounces of uncooked spaghetti, broken into thirds
1 egg
1/2 cup of whole milk
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 pound of ground beef
1/2 pound of Italian sausage
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup of chopped green pepper
1 jar of meatless spaghetti sauce
1 can of tomato sauce
1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook your spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.
3. In a big bowl, beat together your egg, milk and salt.
4. Drain your spaghetti and add it to the egg mix, tossing everything to coat.
5. Move everything to a baking dish.
6. In a skillet, cook your beef, sausage, onion and green pepper over medium heat. Cook out all the pink and drain the excess fat.
7. Stir the spaghetti and tomato sauces together and scoop it over the spaghetti.
8. Bake the whole dish for 20 minutes.
9. When that’s done, pull the dish out and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake it for another 10 minutes.
10. Let the whole thing sit for 10 more minutes before cutting in and serving!

If you’ve ever had a chicken pot pie or a chicken and dumplings dish, this beef and biscuit bake shouldn’t be too unusual to your tastebuds. Still, the beef in this dish gives it a little more body and flavor than those other recipes. Once you try this one, you’re sure to want to eat it again and again. Here’s how you do it:

1 pound of ground beef
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 tube of refrigerated biscuits
2-3 tablespoons of melted butter
1/3 cup of yellow cornmeal

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a saucepan, cook your beef over medium heat until all the pink is gone. Drain the excess fat.
3. Add your beans, corn, soup, milk, onion, chili powder and salt, mixing everything up. Bring the whole mix to a boil.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in your cheese until it melts.
5. Scoop it all into a greased baking dish and bake it for 10 minutes.
6. In the meantime, brush your biscuit dough with butter and roll it around in the cornmeal.
7. Put the biscuits on top of the meat mix and put it back in the oven for another 10 to 12 minutes.
8. Once the biscuits are cooked through, take it out and serve!

Last but not least, this southwestern casserole is another dish that’s so simple to make and ends up tasting incredible. Although it’s not exactly a taco casserole, it has enough similarities that you’ll be sure to like it if you like that one. Above all, the ingredients are simple to cook with, it’s easy to put together and it tastes amazing. Here’s how you make it:

2 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni
2 pounds of ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of chopped green chilies, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1. Begin by cooking your macaroni according to the instructions on the bag.
2. Next, cook your beef and onion over medium heat in a pan, breaking everything up and cooking until all the pink is gone.
3. Add your garlic and cook for another minute before draining the extra fat.
4. Stir in the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato paste, green chilies, salt, chili powder, ground cumin and pepper.
5. Bring the whole thing to a boil before turning down the heat and simmering it for 10 minutes.
6. Drain the macaroni and stir it into the beef mixture as well.
7. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees before moving the macaroni mix into two greased baking dishes.
8. Top each one with cheese and jalapenos before covering them and baking for 30 minutes each.
9. Take the covers off and bake for another 10 minutes.
10. When the cheese is bubbly, cut in and serve! Freeze the extra casserole as well if you’d like.