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A forkful of mac and cheese held over a serving dish.
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4.67 from 3 votes

Southwestern Macaroni and Cheese

Southwestern macaroni and cheese is simply jazzed up boxed mac & cheese. With the addition of ground turkey, black beans, and shredded cheese, it's a filling easy meal that your entire family will love!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Southwestern
Servings: 6
Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

  • 2 boxes (6 ounces each) mac & cheese (such as Kraft dinner)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 16 ounces ground turkey (93/7)
  • 1 cup diced red onion (about ½ medium onion)
  • 1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)
  • 1 cup black beans (from 15 ounce can, rinsed and drained)
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (more to taste) (more if desired)
  • 6 ounces Mexican blend shredded cheese (1 ½ cups)
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced (more if desired)

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan, prepare mac and cheese according to box directions.
    2 boxes (6 ounces each) mac & cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, ½ cup milk
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, red onion, and red bell pepper. Sauté, breaking up turkey, until turkey is cooked through and onions are translucent.
    1 tablespoon olive oil, 16 ounces ground turkey, 1 cup diced red onion, 1 cup diced red bell pepper
  • Stir in black beans, taco seasoning, prepared macaroni and cheese, and shredded cheese until cheese is melted.
    1 cup black beans, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (more to taste), 6 ounces Mexican blend shredded cheese
  • Serve topped with sliced green onions.
    3 green onions, thinly sliced

Notes

  • Meat: You can use ground beef if you prefer. If you happen to have leftover taco meat, you can use that. You can also stir in cooked chicken instead of using ground meat, or skip the meat and serve it as a vegetarian dish.
  • Serving ideas: I like to serve this with taco-style toppings, such as diced tomatoes, salsa, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and so on. 

Nutrition

Calories: 586kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 964mg | Potassium: 546mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1373IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 350mg | Iron: 3mg

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