My kids love pasta and chili, so it makes sense they’d love Chili Mac! This is a healthier version, and they can’t even tell the difference.
I used ground turkey and added extra veggies to make it more nutritious. To make it even healthier, you can use whole wheat or brown rice pasta. Although, I personally just made it with regular pasta. My goal is 80% clean eating, and I don’t stress about using some convenient ingredients.
The macaroni is added just before serving, so it needs to be boiled on the stove. It can be cooked ahead of time though, mixed with a tablespoon of olive oil to keep it from sticking together, and kept in the refrigerator until you’re ready to add it to the chili. That way dinner can be on the table in no time after a long day away from home.
No matter how you look at it, this meal is better for your family than hitting up the drive through!
21 Day Fix Container Counts:
Serving Size: Approximately 1 1/2 cups
Macaroni and Beans – 1 Yellow
Meat – 1 Red
Tomato Sauce and Vegetables – 1 Green
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 cans hot chili beans, undrained
- 1 green peppers, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
- 1 T. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 8 oz. package macaroni
- In skillet cook ground turkey with onion until browned.
- Add cooked meat, beans, vegetables, tomato sauce, and spices to slow cooker.
- Cook for 6-8 hours on low.
- Cook macaroni in a saucepan on the stove and add to chili before serving.
- Top with cheddar cheese, if desired.
- Macaroni can be cooked ahead of time. Boil until al dente, drain, then put it in a dish with 1 T. olive oil and refrigerate until ready to add to crockpot.
- Macaroni - 1 Yellow
- Meat & Beans - 1 Red
- Tomato Sauce & Vegetables - 1 Green
Love easy dinners I can prepare ahead of time. Thanks for the recipe!
Love the convenience of a slow cooker!
How much is one serving?
Sounds good and i cant wait to try
1 1/2 cups is one serving.
How many servings does it make?
It’s approximately 6 servings about 1 1/2 cup each.
Great recipe! About how many servings to this recipe?
What size can of beans do you use?
Just a regular size. Around 14-15 ounces.
This was a really delicious dish. My kids loved it (even my picky one)! Thanks so much, I will definitely be making this a regular dish at my house!
Awesome! Finding recipes the kids like is always great!!
This sounds delicious – I can’t wait to try it! Do you think it would freeze well?
Yes, it does freeze well. I often freeze it in pint size jars with a little space left at the top of the jar. I throw in a handful of fresh spinach when I heat it up. It’s yummy!
I’m new to the 21 day fix, I’m actually putting it together myself because I can’t afford the progam. I found a bunch of great recipes and this one is amazing. I understand which containers are counted, but how much is a serving?
About 1 1/2 cups.
How many Calories per serving?
I don’t count calories, so I don’t calculate them, but you could add the ingredients into My Fitness Pal or something similar to find out.