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4.95 from 17 votes

Healthy Instant Pot Chili Mac

This Healthy Instant Pot Chili Mac is the perfect pairing of two of my favorite meals:  chili and mac and cheese.  Perfectly portioned for the 21 Day Fix, and gluten-free, too!  This is a healthy meal for the whole family!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Time to come to pressure10 minutes
Total Time28 minutes
Course: Quick and Easy
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 553kcal
Author: Nancylynn

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 lb ground lean turkey or lean ground beef
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 bell peppers diced (I used one yellow and one orange)
  • 1 small zucchini cut into quarters
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup kidney beans drained and rinsed well
  • 1 ½ cups uncooked gluten free elbows
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 14 oz tomato sauce 1 can
  • 14 oz mild diced tomatoes with green chilis 1 can
  • ⅔ - 1 ⅓ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese if you use 2/3 cup, this is 1/2 blue per serving| if you use 1 1/3 cups, it's 1 blue per serving
  • Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

Instant Pot:

  • Set Instant Pot to saute and when it’s hot, add in the olive oil, then saute the ground turkey or beef until nearly cooked through.
  • Add in onions, bell peppers, and saute for a couple minutes until fragrant and veggies begin to soften. Then add in garlic and zucchini, cooking for an additional minute.  Be sure to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot and deglaze with a few tablespoons of water or broth (¼ cup for 8 quart) if necessary.
  • Mix seasonings and salt into tomato sauce, then set aside.
  • Layer beans then pasta over the meat and veggie mixture, but do not mix.
  • Top with diced tomatoes, then pour tomato sauce and spices on top.  Again, do not mix.
  • Set Instant Pot for 3 minutes (if you are using a corn based pasta, do 2 minutes)  After cook time, do a quick release.
  • When it’s safe to open the lid, give your chili mac a good stir, then add in desired amount of cheddar cheese.  Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Stovetop:

  • Cook pasta according to the directions on the package.
  • In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat and then saute the ground turkey or beef until nearly cooked through.
  • Add in onions, bell peppers, and saute for a couple minutes until fragrant and veggies begin to soften. Then add in garlic and zucchini, cooking for an additional minute.
  • Mix seasonings and salt into tomato sauce.  Add sauce to veggie mixture, along with the beans and diced tomatoes.  Cook for 10 minutes to let flavors meld together and the liquid to reduce.
  • Finally, stir in pasta and cheese. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Notes

21 Day Fix: 1 1/2 YELLOW, 1 RED, 2 1/4 GREEN, 1/2-1 BLUE (depending on how much cheese you use) , 1/2 TSP (per serving)
WW: 8 points (per serving) [Calculated using 99% lean ground turkey and 2/3 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese]

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 833mg | Potassium: 1410mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2990IU | Vitamin C: 101mg | Calcium: 233mg | Iron: 6mg