Chili Mac Bake

I guess my husband's way of telling me to make some different recipes is sending me an email with the subject line, "recipes." haha! Well, point taken dear. I am always up for making new recipes, especially when I am not the one searching for them. I've been using the Fixate cookbook a lot lately, and I found some great staple meals to include in our weekly meal plan--mmm....pancakes!

INGREDIENTS:

*1 cup dry whole grain/wheat rotini

*1 lb. of lean ground turkey

*small onion, diced

* 1 tbsp of minced garlic

*16 oz can of chili beans (pinto or kidney)

*14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

*6 oz. can of tomato paste

*1 tbsp of chili powder

*1 tsp of cumin

*1 tsp of black pepper

*1 tsp of sea salt

*1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

*1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese blend

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Add olive oil to the skillet and heat at medium.

3. Add onion, garlic, and turkey to skillet. Brown the turkey.

4, While browning meat, cook pasta according to instructions. Add the sea salt to the water.

5. Once the meat is browned, add in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper.

6. Mix all the ingredients together on low heat.

7. Once the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the turkey mixture.

8. Mix all the ingredients together and then transfer to a casserole dish.

9. Top it with the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.

FIXERS or CIZERS: One serving (green container portion, about 1 cup) is Two yellow (pasta and beans) ONE red (ground turkey) 

**I really enjoy this meal because it is very hearty in a small portion! Pair it with a salad for some additional greens. :) It is nice that the entire recipe only calls for one cup of pasta, so it is not overwhelmed with it. The beans are a nice starchy carb to include in your nutrition.

With fall being about a month away, this meal reminded me of those "sweatshirt" weather kind of days!

Yum, yum, eat it up!
Happy eating,
XoXo
Kynslee