Turkey Chili Mac Casserole

Happy Fourth of July! On the way to the grocery store this morning, I had no idea what I would be making for dinner tonight. But as I walked into the store, I decided chili sounded like a good meal for the 4th. As I walked down the pasta/canned veggies aisle to get some tomatoes for the chili, I decided to grab a box of elbows and make it a chili mac casserole. This is an easy and cheap one to make for a few people or a crowd; all the ingredients are inexpensive, and adding more pasta and veggies will help stretch it to feed a crowd. I've written the recipe for 4-6 people, but I usually make all the chili, mix a few cups with 1/4-1/3 of a pound of pasta, and make a small casserole for 2. Then I freeze the rest of the chili and thaw later for other meals.

The Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 package lean ground turkey (1.3 lbs)
2 Tbsp chili seasoning (I used Penzey’s Chili 3000. I am a huge fan of Penzey's seasoning blends*, and picked this one up last time I was in their shop. But plain chili powder would be fine, too.)
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 stalks celery, medium dice
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 ½ cups no salt chicken stock (or homemade stock if you have some. I did not today.)
1 26oz carton strained tomatoes (Any type of canned tomato is fine. Boyfriend doesn't like chunks of tomato, so I used strained tomatoes.)
1 lb elbow pasta (I used whole wheat. If you're making this casserole for a smaller crowd, make the whole batch of chili, and save it for later. But only make enough pasta for the casserole.)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar.

The Directions:

1. Heat dutch over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat through. Add ground turkey and brown, about 5 minutes. Season with chili seasoning powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add onion, celery, red bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes. Deglaze pan with stock, and stir to get all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in tomatoes, bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Cover and let cook at least 15-20 minutes. (The more it cooks, the more the flavors combine, so it can go for hours on low heat if you stir it occasionally),
3. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Bring water to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions, until just under al dente. Drain pasta well.
4. Combine pasta and chili. Pour into large casserole dish. Top with cheddar cheese, and bake at 350°F until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let rest 5 minutes, and serve.

This was fantastic! It had a nice chili flavor, was hearty but not too heavy, and an easy meal with minimal effort. I chopped the veggies pretty small, and Boyfriend ate them all without complaint or picking them out. The whole wheat pasta added another layer of texture to the dish, and the nuttiness of the whole wheat blended really well with the flavors of the chili. I think if I make it again, I would add a bit more of the Chili 3000 seasoning, but it was a great and easy holiday meal.

*I LOVE Penzey's. They have a shop near my parents' house and I love going there with my mom. I like being able to buy small quantities of spices that I don't use frequently or want to try. And they also sell some great spice blends. I go through multiple jars of Mural of Flavor a year - it makes everything taste better!