Description
A warm and flavorful slow cooker chili mac that combines hearty chili with creamy macaroni, perfect for cozy gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 15 oz canned light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 12 oz dried elbow noodles
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup shredded colby jack or cheddar jack cheese (about 4 oz)
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground turkey until fully cooked.
- Transfer the cooked turkey to your slow cooker, scraping any brown bits into the pot.
- Add the kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and all the spices. Stir well.
- Cover and let it simmer on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, cook the elbow noodles according to package directions and drain thoroughly.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until smooth.
- Gradually pour in the milk while whisking, continue until thickened (about 3-4 minutes).
- Stir in the shredded cheese until melted. Remove from heat.
- Add the cooked noodles to the chili pot and pour the creamy cheese sauce over the mixture. Stir gently.
- Cover and leave on low or warm for about 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
Customize with toppings like crispy fried onions or fresh herbs. For a vegan option, use lentils or a meat substitute and non-dairy cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 240 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 65mg