Turkey Taco Mac ’n’ Cheese Recipe Is the Ultimate Comfort Food Combo
When you’re craving something cheesy, you really can’t go wrong with a dish of macaroni and cheese. The only thing that could make this comfort classic even better? Adding some protein to it to make it a complete meal and giving the dish a Tex-Mex twist for loads of flavor. In this turkey taco mac ‘n’ cheese recipe, we used ground turkey and then mixed in taco sauce, a sprinkling of cumin and a blend of shredded taco cheeses. And instead of topping the casserole with the breadcrumbs, we used crushed-up tortilla chips for added crunch and flavor. It’s the perfect taco-tastic dinner!
You can lean harder into the Tex-Mex theme by serving this turkey mac ‘n’ cheese recipe with sour cream to dollop on top, along with garnishes like chopped green onions, cilantro, diced tomatoes, and sliced jalapeños. If you’ve given this dish a try, leave us a comment below.
Yields
Total Time
Prep Time
Cook Time
Ingredients
- 1 small onion
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 8 oz. ground turkey
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. ground chipotle chili pepper
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ½ cup mild taco sauce
- 8 oz. cavatappi pasta
- 1 (8 oz.) pkg. Kraft Deliciously Paired Cheese for Tacos
- ⅛ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup white corn tortilla chips, about 1 oz.
- Fresh thyme (optional)
Instructions
PrintHeat oven to 400°F. Coat 2-qt. baking dish with cooking spray. Finely chop onion. In 10" nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add turkey, onion, cumin, chipotle pepper and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until turkey is no longer pink, 7–8 min.; stir in taco sauce. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend, about 10 min.
In large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions. Remove and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. Drain pasta well and return to pot. Add reserved cooking liquid, then 1 cup cheese; stir until melted. Stir in turkey mixture; transfer to baking dish.
Sprinkle ½ cup cheese, then pepper flakes over turkey mixture. Bake until lightly browned and cheese is melted, 15–20 min.
Meanwhile, finely crush tortilla chips; combine with remaining ½ cup cheese. Evenly sprinkle tortilla mixture over top of baked mac ’n’ cheese. If desired, garnish with fresh thyme.
Nutrition
- Calories: 582
- Fat: 27 gram
- Saturated Fat: 12 gram
- Protein: 33 gram
- Carbohydrate: 53 gram
- Fiber: 3 gram
- Cholesterol: 93 mg
- Sugar: 5 gram
- Sodium: 880 mg
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