This Healthy Mexican Mac and Cheese recipe is creamy, hearty, and SUPER cheesy with delicious Mexican flavor throughout! Not even for a second does it taste lightened up! A true family favorite! No doubt will this one become a staple in your house too!
Okay you guys. This is one of the recipes I created for my new macro-friendly, SAVORY cookbook that is coming out TOMORROW (July 29, which is actually my birthday!) I have been wanting to share a teaser recipe from the cookbook to give y’all an idea of what else is to come. So without any further ado… meet this INSANELY creamy and delicious Healthy Mexican Mac and Cheese!!
This mac and cheese was one of the most highly requested recipes for me to share. It’s also my fiancé Simon’s favorite, and one of my handful of favorites too. It’s so hard to pick just ONE! 😂 I’m also featuring this one on the cover of the cookbook!!!
So, what does it taste like? Basically like a Mexican version of Hamburger Helper! It’s full of creamy cheese, rich tomato flavor, juicy ground turkey, seared peppers and onions, and has a little kick from the taco seasoning and chilies.
PLUS, it’s lightened up and no one will ever know!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS HEALTHY MEXICAN MAC AND CHEESE
- It’s quick and easy to prepare.
- Very popular recipe for kids and husbands.
- It’s soooooo creamy and cheesy. I’m not exaggerating!
- Protein packed from ground turkey and very macro-friendly.
- Lower in calories and fat than your traditional mac and cheese recipe!
- Only one pot required. Yay, easy clean up!
- Great recipe to meal prep for the week.
- You’ll NEVER get tired of this mac and cheese!
INGREDIENTS
- Ground turkey – Ground beef or chicken would also work well in this recipe.
- Elbow macaroni noodles – I used regular elbow noodles, but you can also use whole wheat, Banza chickpea pasta, or a gluten-free brand.
- Cream cheese – Use 1/3 reduced-fat, fat-free or full fat cream cheese. Dairy-free cream cheese works too! I can’t taste a difference between the four.
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Diced tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Diced green chilies
- Taco seasoning
- Broth – You could use vegetable, chicken, or beef.
- Shredded cheese – I used low Mexican shredded cheese. But sharp or medium cheddar would also work well for this recipe!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY MEXICAN MAC AND CHEESE
- Place peppers, onions, and ground turkey in a large pot. Cook on medium-high heat until the turkey is browned and the vegetables are tender.
- Add taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chiles, water, and broth. Allow liquid to boil then reduce to low heat. Stir in the pasta and cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked and liquid has reduced down. Note there should be a little of the liquid left for creamy macaroni and cheese but not a lot. Pasta cooking times will vary. Cook until most (but not all) of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add in the cream cheese and shredded cheese. Stir until melted.
- Let cool. Then, serve up!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This mac and cheese is mild! Just the right amount of kick without making it too spicy. The spice comes from the taco seasoning, so if you’re worried about it being too much, you can always add 2 tablespoons instead of 3.
To make this mac and cheese dairy-free, use dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free shredded cheese.
This Mac and cheese is made healthier by replacing full-fat with low-fat cheese and using less cheese than traditional recipes. Both low-fat cream cheese and low-fat shredded cheese are used in this recipe. There are also vegetables added which add fiber, volume, and nutrients. And ground turkey is added which gives this recipe a huge boost of protein!
WANT TO MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you try this mexican mac and cheese and love it, please rate this recipe!
You can also tag me on Instagram, @LaurenFitFoodie. It makes my day seeing your yummy recreations!
Healthy Mexican Mac and Cheese
This Healthy Mexican Mac and Cheese recipe is creamy, hearty, and SUPER cheesy with delicious Mexican flavor throughout! Not even for a second does it taste lightened up! A true family favorite! No doubt will this one become a staple in your house too!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. 99% lean ground turkey
- 1/2 medium onion, diced (120g)
- 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced (130g)
- 1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1 (4.5-oz.) can diced green chilies
- 3 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 16-oz. elbow noodles (dry)
- 2 cups water
- 3 cups broth (beef, chicken or vegetable broth)
- 8-oz. low fat cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup low fat shredded Mexican/cheddar cheese (112g
Instructions
- Place peppers, onions, and ground turkey in a large pot sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cook on medium-high heat until the turkey is browned and the onions are tender.
- Add taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chiles, water, and broth. Allow liquid to boil then reduce to low heat. Stir in the pasta and cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked and liquid has reduced down. Note there should be a little of the liquid left for creamy macaroni and cheese but not a lot. Pasta cooking times will vary. Cook until most (but not all) of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add in the cream cheese and shredded cheese and stir until melted.
Notes
To make gluten-free: use gluten-free noodles of choice.
To make dairy-free: use dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free shredded cheese.
-
Want to switch out the protein? Sub the ground turkey for ground beef, ground chicken or plant-based ground beef.
-
MFP entry: LFF Mexican Mac and Cheese
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
246gAmount Per Serving: Calories: 272Total Fat: 5.4gSaturated Fat: 2.5gCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2.4gSugar: 5.9gProtein: 20.8g
Is this maybe missing a step? Are we supposed to bring to a boil first, and then cut the heat to low?? I followed your directions and the consistency/liquid didn’t change and the pasta wasn’t even close to being cooked for a loooong time. After about 25 minutes on low, I bumped up the temp so it would boil for several minutes and the liquid finally started to absorb. Tips?? Thanks!
This is the same thing that I was thinking and the same thing that happened to me.
I definitely had the same issue! I had to drain a bunch of liquid out.
Wondering if you are supposed to drain the diced tomatoes and chilis, and if you didn’t that’s why it was so liquidy? Should I drain those, or no?
It was sooo yummy but I think the 5 cups of broth/water is too much. It was more like a soup.
Made this tonight and it was delicious. I think I was short of the 3 TBS taco seasoning ( i just used a packet) so ended up just adding some extra chili powder and garlic powder. I did not have any issues with extra liquid. I’m wondering if people are using only 1 (8 oz) banza pasta rather than the 2 (16 oz) that the recipe calls for?
For sure will make this again.
This saved me!! Only 1 box of pasta went in. Second box fixed the problem. Thanks lol
So yummy and cheesy! This is definitely a recipe I’ll be making a few times a month!