Poblanos add a kick of heat to this chili mac recipe. If that’s not your thing, swap in green bell peppers to tone down the heat in this easy pasta dish, which mashes up mac and cheese and chili into a seriously satisfying skillet dinner.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles, rotini or fusilli
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium poblano peppers and/or green bell peppers
- 1 medium stalk celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can low-sodium kidney beans or chili beans, rinsed
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- Sliced scallions and/or pickled jalapeños for garnish
Directions
- Step 1
Cook pasta 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add beef, chili powder and salt; cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until the beef is no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 3
Add tomatoes with their juice and broth; bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Add beans and the pasta, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Fold in sour cream. Serve topped with Cheddar and scallions and/or pickled jalapeños, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 3/4 cups each Per Serving: 567 calories; protein 33.7g; carbohydrates 64.4g; dietary fiber 14.3g; sugars 5.8g; fat 21.8g; saturated fat 8.2g; cholesterol 73.4mg; vitamin a iu 2175.5IU; vitamin c 51.3mg; folate 64.5mcg; calcium 250.4mg; iron 6.2mg; magnesium 148.5mg; potassium 1072.8mg; sodium 730.5mg; thiamin 1.2mg. Exchanges:
3 1/2 starch, 3 lean protein, 1 1/2 fat, 1 vegetable, 1/2 high-fat protein
