Meal Creation of February 15, 2009

Turkey Chili Mac Recipe

The following is my recipe for making Chili Mac using ground turkey.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Ground Turkey
• 1 Cup Water
• 3 Tablespoons Dehydrated Onions
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Cup Chili Powder
• 1 Can Tomato Paste (6 oz.)
• 1 Can Rotel Tomatoes (10 oz.)
• 2 Cups Uncooked Macaroni

Preparation Instructions:

In a large pot add the ground turkey and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until the turkey is almost done. Add dehydrated onions, garlic powder, and chili powder and mix well. Cook for another 15 or 20 minutes with medium heat. Stir in tomato paste and Rotel Tomatoes. If the mixture appears to be thicker than you would like, you can add more water a little at a time until you reach the desired thickness. Reduce heat and simmer. While the meat mixture is simmering, cook the macaroni in another pot. When it is done add it to the meat mixture and mix well. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.

Serving Suggestion:

Good served with saltine crackers or cornbread.

Other Notes:

I cook this in an electric slow cooker on high. The slow cooker I use is not a crock pot and it cooks faster than a crock pot would. It usually takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from start to finish. I let the turkey cook about 30 minutes before adding the seasonings, then 15 to 20 minutes before adding the tomatoes. Once I add the tomatoes, I let it simmer for an hour or so then add the macaroni. After the macaroni is added I let it simmer another 30 minutes. The longer you let the mixture simmer the better the macaroni will absorb the flavor. Be careful not to overcook and if it become too thick add a little water.  

You can experiment with adding different seasonings. Sometimes I add about 3 tablespoons of dehydrated bell pepper. Fresh bell pepper would work well also. I like to use the dehydrated onions because they tend to add more flavor than fresh onions, but fresh onions could be used, if you don't have the dehydrated onions.