creamy taco mac

Creamy Taco Mac

adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

1¼ lbs. ground turkey

  8oz. dry pasta shapes (I used a whole 16 oz box)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

4 tbsp. taco seasoning

3 oz. cream cheese

½ cup sour cream

Salt and pepper

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook pasta according to the package directions.  Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink.  A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet.  Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.  Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

**my notes...this was delicious, fast, and easy. A staple in our house! Leftovers are just as good too!

turkey chili

***this was fabulous! i loved it. rory didn't like the "chunks of stuff", but that didn't surprise me at all. i changed a few things, these changes are reflected above, the original recipe is via the link. very satisfying and flavorful, i thought!


Turkey Chili
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 (1 ounce) package chili seasoning mix
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (7 ounce) can salsa
• 1 can kidney beans
  
• 1 (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes in juice
  
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• sour cream
• cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble turkey into the pot, stirring with a wooden spoon to break apart as much as possible. Season with chili seasoning and tomato paste, and mix until meat is evenly coated with seasonings. Continue cooking, reducing heat if necessary, until turkey is well browned.
2. Pour in broth, and simmer to reduce liquid slightly, about 5 minutes. Add salsa and tomatoes, and kidney beans, and continue cooking at a moderate simmer for ten minutes. Adjust the thickness at any time you feel necessary by adding water.
3. While chili is still cooking, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and green bell pepper, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent and bell pepper is lightly browned. Add onion and bell pepper to the chili, and continue cooking at a very low simmer.
4. Ladle chili into serving bowls. Top with sour cream and cheddar cheese, and serve.