Hi all! I am back tonight as promised with that super tasty, smokey, cheesy Southwestern Mac & Cheese recipe that is not only Weight Watchers Smartpoints friendly, it is 100% Simply Filling too. I absolutely love mac & cheese as it in might be 1 of my top 10 must have foods. The thing is, it makes my mouth happy but it never stays with me for long and let’s be honest, who really eats 2/3 cup. I mean, you can, but, if your like me, I have to work really hard convincing myself that is “enough”. So, I decided to build on an old school Weight Watchers recipe I made back in the day and boost it up with a little protein from the ground turkey and a little southwest flavor. Adding a little smokiness and spice from the chipotle and taco seasoning makes this one satisfying cheesy dish that pairs perfectly with a big salad. Try it, I bet, you’ll find this recipe really is “enough” to satisfy that mac & cheese craving without going back for more.
SOUTHWESTERN MAC & CHEESE (print it!)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1.25 lbs lean ground turkey
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (I use my homemade version)
- 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 4.5 oz can fire roasted diced green chiles
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, diced
- 6 oz barilla whole grain penne or rotini
- 4 oz 2% mexican cheese, shredded
- sea salt & black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat a large stock pan with salted water and cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add ground turkey, onion, bell pepper. and garlic. Cook until browned, about 7-10 minutes. Drain and return to pan.
- Sprinkle with taco seasoning. Add diced tomatoes including juice, green chilies including juice, tomato sauce and chipotle in adobo. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta and cheese. Dive in and enjoy!
Makes 6 heaping 1 cup servings, 8 SmartPoints (without the veggies) or 100% Simply Filling (I use lowfat versus fat free cheese for Simply Filling).
Nutrition facts per serving including vegetables calculated at caloriecount.com
STEP – BY – STEP:
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add turkey, garlic, onion and bell pepper. Brown for about 7-10 minutes.
Drain, return mixture to pan and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp taco seasoning.
Chipotle Tip: I use the Embasa Chipotles. I take out one, then, freeze them in a small container so I can slice off 1 chipotle or roughly 1 Tbsp at a time to add to recipes.
Add tomato sauce, fired roasted diced tomatoes, green chilies and chipotle. Stir to combine and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat then stir in pasta and cheese.
Super, cheesy, spicy, smoky goodness. Yep, you get 1/6th of this pan for 8 smartpoints!
How do you make your mac & cheese?
Night all!
Thank you Danica, I can’t wait to try it 🙂
Thank you. Looking forward to trying this. Love your step by step pictures.
My late mother-in-law made the best mac and cheese EVER – in my opinion. She baked hers so it had a crust on top and it wasn’t as moist as most mac and cheese dishes are. I’m going to check if my sister-in-law or niece have “grandma’s” recipe because I sure miss it.
I haven’t had any mac and cheese since I started WW 5 years ago! Always afraid I’d overdo it and eat too much. This recipe sounds terrific. Pairing it with a huge salad is perfect.
gotta try this soon! Danica, this isn’t exactly a WW question but how do you put your photo on your Fit-Bit friends (buddy list)? I just love your cute, little smile! You can post to the group or email me; whatever is easier for you. LOVE your website, recipes, etc. Just made your Chicken stir-fry tonight & hubby says- “you gotta make that again!”
Hi Susan,
On the fitbit website, go under profile, change or add your picture and upload it. I think you can do the same on your phone app but I haven’t tried it there.
Thanks for the nice comment and letting me know you all loved the recipe!
Danica