Home » Cheesy Turkey Taco Chili Mac + Weekly Menu

Cheesy Turkey Taco Chili Mac + Weekly Menu

Days like today make me remember my days pre-kiddos. I would spend ALL day in the kitchen whipping up recipe after recipe, photographing it, and doing an endless amount of dishes. Thinking back, I have NO IDEA what we did with all of that food!!

As I shared with Gina on our last podcast, my kids are forever in the kitchen with me. We have 2 stools at our kitchen island and they get way too much use. When it’s meal time, my two little amigos are in there helping me, pushing the stools around my scuffed up wood floors. Add to that a dog and a Valentine making station and my kitchen is pure chaos.

While piecing together our menu for the week, I ran across a recipe for some no-bake granola peanut butter chocolate cups and knew we all needed them in our lives. I mean, last week at the ice rink, Piper quite literally picked a donut out of an open trash can and would have devoured it had I not been there to take it away from her and in a disgusted tone told her, “Yucky! Yucky!”

She had no idea why this sprinkle-covered masterpiece was yucky, tears followed, and I’m pretty sure everyone on the ice was wondering what all the crying was about. My kids…they love their sugar.

They also love chili and all things pasta. We’ve been working on clearing out some older items in the freezer and out came 2 Tupperwares filled with chili. I added some pasta to make a chili mac of sorts, served it with a vegetable and they inhaled their meals. I’m glad my kids agree that chili is the world’s most perfect food!

Similarly, this Cheesy Turkey Taco Chili Mac combines chili and taco goodness in an easy meal that is full of fiber and big on comfort. They plowed through their dinners and asked for more. It reheated great and we all fought for the leftovers in our lunches in the days that followed. Deeelish! And only 1 pot to clean!


Cheesy Turkey Taco Chili Mac
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 7 servings (about 1⅓ cups each)
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 (10 oz) can Rotel (tomatoes with green chilies)
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can chili beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
  • ½ can (8 oz) fat-free refried beans
  • 1 (15 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1½ cups water
  • 8 oz dry whole wheat shells
  • ¾ cup part-skim shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot with a fitted lid over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the turkey and cook until no longer pink, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
  2. When cooked through, add the onions, garlic, garlic powder, cumin, salt, chili powder, paprika, and oregano; cook 2-3 minutes. Add the bell pepper, stir, and cook 2-3 minutes more.
  3. Add canned tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, refried beans, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer about 15 minutes.
  4. Stir in the uncooked pasta and simmer uncovered over medium heat until al dente, about 8-10 minutes or according to package directions. Remove the pot from heat and top with the cheese, cover and let sit for about 2-3 minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve immediately garnished with fresh cilantro and scallions.
Notes
Recipe ever so slightly adapted from Skinny Taste
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1⅓ cups Calories: 356 Fat: 7.6 Carbohydrates: 49.1 Sugar: 6.6 Sodium: 805 Fiber: 10.9 Protein: 27.7 Cholesterol: 52

Weekly Menu: January 27th – 31st

Be well,

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4 Comments

  1. priyanka
    January 30, 2019 / 5:46 am

    Wow this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.

    Thanks for the tip!
    Have a great day.
    Priyanka

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