Healthy Turkey Chili Macaroni and Cheese
When I meal plan, I like to make meals that will satisfy my entire family. Aubrey’s been getting more selective with what she’ll eat lately (she has a lot of opinions for an 18 month old!) so we’ve been getting back to basics and doing more pasta based meals.
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This turkey chili macaroni and cheese is a hit in my house not only with Aubrey but also with my husband. It’s a filling one pot dish that’s super cheesy, full of flavor and surprisingly healthy and low calorie! It’s also an easy dinner to make on a busy weeknight and best of all is easy to clean up since it can all be made in 1 pot.
For Aubrey I serve hers with a little extra cheese on top, but for my husband and I we add on toppings like jalapeños, avocado, and sour cream.
Looking for other easy week night dinners? Chicken Wonton Cupcakes and Instant Pot Pulled Pork are great easy and healthy options!
Turkey Chili Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz ground turkey I like 99% lean
- 4 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 15 oz chicken broth
- 15 oz black beans
- 10 oz diced tomatoes with green chili I like Rotel
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 15 oz refried beans
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 8 oz elbow pasta
- 3/4 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot, brown the ground turkey (breaking it up as it cooks), about 5-6 minutes. Once browned, add in the onion, garlic, red pepper and taco seasoning until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium high and add in the tomato sauce, water, chicken broth, black beans, diced tomatoes,and refried beans. Bring to a boil.
- Once the pot comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and put a cover on the pot for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 15 minutes, bring the pot to a medium high heat and add in the elbow pasta. Cook according to instructions to al dente, about 6-7 minutes.
- Once the pasta is done, turn off heat and stir in cheese. Let sit about 5 minutes before serving.
This looks super tasty! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
This sounds amazing! I will have to give this a shot. And see if my keto eating husband will give it a try LOL
This look delicious! I just took out a hamburger black bean mix from my freezer I could easily adapt to this. 🙂
I love that this recipe takes a comfort food item and puts a spin on it. I also love ground turkey, so it’s inclusion makes me happy.
This looks super yummy! We love tacos and mac and cheese in our house. I will try it out!
This recipe looks like it would be so tasty! We love mac n cheese in our house and if you add the word, healthy, I’m in!
This sounds amazing. And I have relatives that do not eat beef, so this is perfect for them. Will be saving and forwarding for sure. Thanks!
If I wanted to use chickpea pasta (Banza) do you think I should do it the same way, all in one pot or cook separately and add in since sometimes it creates a foam?
I would cook separately so the foam doesn’t water down the rest of the dish. Let me know how it comes out!