By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 6
449 cal · 30 min
Healthy One Pot Chili Macaroni
Recipe GLPRbaddb6f05d2edf
A hearty and wholesome one-pot meal featuring seasoned ground turkey, tender macaroni, black beans, and stewed tomatoes all simmered together in a flavorful chili broth. Finished with melted cheese for added comfort, this dish comes together quickly and serves six generous portions—perfect for busy weeknights.
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, stems and seeds removed, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
2 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups macaroni noodles
2 ½ cups water
1 cup shredded cheese, plus more for topping
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the diced onion, green pepper, minced jalapeno, and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the ground turkey breast and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon, until browned throughout and no longer pink—approximately 5 to 7 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and salt, mixing well to coat the turkey and vegetables. Add the stewed tomatoes, drained and rinsed black beans, macaroni noodles, and water. Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for approximately 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is tender and cooked through.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the shredded cheese until fully melted and combined. Divide into bowls and serve with additional shredded cheese on top if desired.
Comments
This hits well for Charlotte availability and cost: everything is stocked at any Harris Teeter, Food Lion, or Kroger without a second stop, and ground turkey, canned tomatoes, and dried beans keep the cost per serving under $2. The stated 30 minutes is honest if you use pre-minced garlic and don't brown the turkey slowly, though a home cook who properly browns the meat should add 5-7 minutes. It's genuinely family-friendly—mild enough for kids if you seed the jalapeno, reheats cleanly in the microwave, and feeds six with leftovers—but it's not exciting enough to rotate into heavy rotation; cumin and chili powder alone don't create much depth, and the one-pot format forces you to cook pasta separately anyway unless you're dumping dry pasta at the end, which muddies the texture.
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