Description
A Chili Mac and Cheese with kimchi that is rich, spicy, and full of umami. Made with ground turkey, but feel free to use beef, lamb, or a plant-based alternative. A hearty weeknight meal perfect for cold weather!
Ingredients
Units
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey ( or sub ground beef or lamb, or plant-based “ground meat” substitute*)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 onion, diced
- 4–6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 cups chicken broth (or beef or veggie) or 3 cups water plus two small boullion cubes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free liquid aminos
- 8 ounces dry macaroni (2 cups) or sub gluten-free macaroni
- 1 cup kimchi, drained, chopped
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1–2 teaspoons gochujang
- 1–2 teaspoons fish sauce, more as needed
- Garnish: cilantro, scallions, chili crisp or crispy onions or shallots – something crunchy is nice here!
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey, breaking it apart with a spatula until crumbled, season with salt and pepper, and brown it as best as you can. Set it aside.
- To the same pan, add the remaining oil and saute the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant. Add the red bell pepper, and saute until just softened, 3 more minutes. Return the cooked ground turkey to the pan, and stir in the cumin and chili powder. Create a well in the center, add the tomato paste and brown it just a bit to deepen the flavor.
- Add the chicken stock and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Once boiling stir in the macaroni, cover and lower heat to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer covered until the pasta is tender and the liquid is soaked up, 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped kimchi (remember to strain it first), cheddar cheese, gochujang and fish sauce (start conservatively adding more to taste).
- Taste. Tip: The kimchi will make it tangy, so you’ll need to add enough salt or fish sauce ( or soy sauce) to add umami depth – and balance out that tang! The cheese will help too. Add more heat if you like- a pinch of cayenne is easy.
- Divide among bowls and top with chili crisp or crispy shallots or onions, cilantro or scallions.
Notes
Ground meat: If using beef or lamb, you won’t need as much olive oil, and you may want to drain the fat. If using plant-based ground “meat,” you may need less salt, as it is usually already seasoned.
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 570
- Sugar: 5.6 g
- Sodium: 1505.7 mg
- Fat: 29.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 37.9 g
- Fiber: 3.2 g
- Protein: 39.6 g
- Cholesterol: 124.3 mg