Two comfort food favorites—pasta and chili con carne—come together in this delicious chili pasta casserole, which combines the traditional elements of chili-ground beef, earthy spices, and chunky tomatoes and perfectly cooked al dente pasta, all smothered with creamy cheddar cheese.

Casseroles are life-savers when it comes to providing the family with homemade meals, especially on busy weeknights. More often than not, when busy parents find themselves pressed for time in the evenings they opt for a quick dinner option for the family, which usually means take-out, and coincidentally equates to unhealthy.

With this chili pasta casserole you can rest assured that dinner will be stress-free and no- fuss. Prepare large batches of this freezer-friendly meal in advance (for example, on the weekends when you have more time available to you) then simply remove from the freezer and warm up in the oven.

For this recipe I’ve used previously prepared chili con carne (conveniently frozen in batches), which makes the preparation for this meal even simpler. Simply defrost the chili, cook the pasta, then mix it all together in a casserole dish, top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake until bubbly.

Serve this chili pasta casserole with fresh scallions and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!