Southwestern Macaroni and Cheese with Ground Turkey
Posted: 03/11/2015
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Southwestern macaroni and cheese with ground turkey makes a quick and easy meal that your entire family will love!
Ever have one of those days where you just need a quick and easy solution for dinner? Something that everyone will like, something that doesn’t make too many pans dirty, and something that comes together fairly quickly.
Or maybe one of those days is actually more like every day. That’s what I’ve been feeling like lately. Don’t know if it’s the weather or what, but I’m just not in the mood to create some elaborate dinner that my kids won’t even like. I want a sure thing. Something everyone will devour.
About this mac and cheese
I always have a few boxes of macaroni and cheese on hand for lunches but also for quick dinners. It’s always fun to mix it up a little and do something different with the macaroni and cheese. That way the kids and the adults are happy with dinner.
I like to go the southwestern route. I pair the Horizon ClassicMac™ Macaroni and Cheese with cooked ground turkey, my favorite homemade taco seasoning, black beans, bell peppers and onions. If you happen to have leftover taco meat in the freezer or fridge, use that instead of the ground turkey. Leftover chicken is good, too.
Once it’s all combined, I stir in some extra cheese to up the cheesy goodness of the southwestern macaroni and cheese. Continue heating it in the saucepan until the cheese melts. If you want, put it all in a casserole dish and pop it in the oven for a half hour or so.
Serve with toppings! Dress it like you would a taco — cilantro, sour cream, salsa, even some shredded lettuce would be great on top of this southwestern macaroni and cheese.
More Mac and Cheese recipes
We can never get enough mac and cheese! Here are a few more recipes you may enjoy:
- Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese
- Green Chile Mac and Cheese
- Macaroni and Cheese Pizza with Bacon and Green Onions
- Easiest Ever Baked Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
- Southwestern Mac and Cheese Muffins
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
This Southwestern macaroni and cheese with ground turkey makes a quick and easy meal that your entire family will love!
Ingredients
- two 6 ounce boxes of Horizon® ClassicMac Macaroni & Mild Cheddar Cheese
- 4 tablespoons Horizon® Organic Butter
- 1/2 cup Horizon® organic milk
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- one 20-ounce package of ground turkey breast (extra lean)
- 1/2 large red onion, diced small (about a cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small (about a cup)
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (more to taste)
- 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) Horizon® Mexican organic finely shredded cheese
- 3 green onions (more to taste), thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, prepare Horizon macaroni and cheese according to box directions.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add turkey, red onion, and red bell pepper. Saute, breaking up turkey, until turkey is cooked through and onions are translucent. Stir in black beans, taco seasoning, prepared macaroni and cheese, and shredded cheese until cheese is melted.
- Serve topped with sliced green onions.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1of 6, Calories: 423kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 296mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 2g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Enjoy Horizon Mac & Cheese as a versatile meal and keep your family happy. Try different vegetables in the dish to promote alternative uses of Horizon products or let your imagination take over.
Horizon is a pioneer in the organic industry. Every choice they make is carefully considered with National Organic Program (NOP) guidelines in mind. Horizon Mac & Cheese is made with these guidelines and the happy family in mind. For more information, visit Horizon’s website for more information.
*This conversation is sponsored by Horizon. The opinions and text are all mine.
