If you are looking for a tasty and satisfying Weight Watchers dinner recipe, then you can't go wrong with this Turkey Chili Mac & Cheese. It is 6 SmartPoints on the myWW Blue plan, 2 SmartPoints on myWW Purple plan and 10 SmartPoints on the myWW Green plan.
Please be aware that this post was written prior to Weight Watchers changing to the WW Personal Points Plan! You can discover exactly how many Personal Points this recipe will be for you by clicking on the blue ‘WW Personal Points’ button in the recipe card below.
And for those of you still working with the Freestyle SmartPoint system this tasty dish is 6 SmartPoints per portion!
I've been playing around with this recipe for some time now.
Sometimes I use ground turkey mince, sometimes ground chicken mince. Sometimes I add more cayenne powder, sometimes I hold back on it. Sometimes I throw all the garlic in!!
But whichever way I end up making it I always end up loving it. It's proper comfort food.
It's filling, it's tasty, it's easy to make and what's more it's low in SmartPoints!
What more could you want from a Weight Watchers dinner recipe?
If you are following the myWW purple plan you really are in luck! A generous portion of this tasty chili mac & cheese will only set you back 2 SmartPoints!!
For those following the Blue & Purple plans, it's a little more SmartPoints but nothing that will break the bank!
How many SmartPoints in Turkey Chili Mac & Cheese?
- myWW Blue plan - 6 SmartPoints per serving
- myWW Purple plan - 2 SmartPoints per serving
- myWW Green plan - 10 SmartPoints per serving
- Freestyle SmartPoints (same as Blue plan) - 6 SmartPoints per serving.
For anyone following the myWW Blue plan, the only ingredients that are pointed are the wholewheat pasta, the oil, the cumin & paprika & the cheese.
For people following the myWW Purple plan, the only ingredients that are pointed are the oil, the cumin & paprika & the cheese.
For people following the myWW Green plan, the olive oil, ground turkey, cumin, paprika, beans, cheese and pasta are all pointed.
Can I reduce the SmartPoints?
Yes there may be a little that can be done to reduce the SmartPoints in this recipe.
Firstly, you could use calorie controlled spray oil instead of olive oil to saute the ground turkey, but this only reduces the SmartPoint value by ½ point per portion (& as you know WW don't work in half points!)
The number of SmartPoints could be reduced on all three plans by using a different type of cheese.
I used WW Reduced Fat Grated Cheese Mature, which worked out at 7 SmartPoints for 125g. Some of the other types of WW shredded cheese may also work well, but please check their SmartPoint values before using.
If you use Kraft Fat Free Cheddar Shredded Cheese, you can reduce the SmartPoints in this recipe by 1 point per portion.
If you love the cheese 😀 take a look at this list of Low Point Cheese for more cheesy inspiration!
Tips for making Turkey Chili Mac & Cheese
- I always find it easiest when making a dish like this to prepare all the ingredients before I start to cook (picture 1). I drain and rinse the beans, chop the pepper and onion, mince the garlic etc.
- Start by browning off the ground turkey in the olive oil over a medium heat.
- Use a wooden spoon/spatula to break up the meat & cook until it there is no pinkness left in the meat (pictures 2 & 3)
- Add the chopped onion and red pepper (picture 4)
- Cook for a further few minutes until the onion and pepper have started to soften and become tender (picture 5)
- Add the the spices and the minced garlic (picture 6)
- Mix the spices and the garlic into the meat and vegetables so that it is all combined.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce (passata), water, beans and wholewheat macaroni (picture 8)
- Give the skillet a good stir (picture 9) and bring to the boil.
- Once the mixture reaches a boil, turn down the heat and simmer (covered) for 10 - 12 minutes until the pasta has cooked and the sauce has reduced.
- Turn off the heat and mix in ¾ of the cheese.
- Serve topped with some chopped green/spring onion and the remainder of the cheese.
Can I freeze Turkey Chili Mac & Cheese?
Yes you can!
I often make a big batch of this Chili Mac & Cheese and portion it up into freezer bags. I then pop them in the freezer ready for an easy grab & go microwaveable dinner.
More Weight Watchers Dinner recipes
If you like this Turkey Chili Mac & Cheese recipe you may also like these WW friendly dinner recipes.
- Easy Fish Pie - 5 SP (Blue/Freestyle) , 3SP (Purple), 8SP (Green)
- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese - 6SP (Blue/Freestyle)
- Stuffed Zucchini - 3SP (Blue)
- Chicken Parmesan - 6 SP (Blue/Freestyle)
Turkey Chili Mac & Cheese | Weight Watchers
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 10.5 oz ground turkey breast (300g)
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 sweet red pepper finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ¼ tsp cayenne pepper a little more if you like it spicy!
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups dry wholewheat macaroni (8oz / 225g)
- 1 can black beans 1 x 15oz can
- 1 can kidney beans 1 x 15oz can
- 1 can canned tomatoes 1 x 15oz can
- 2 cups tomato sauce/passata (450ml)
- 1.5 cups water (350ml)
- 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese (125g) - I use mature cheddar
- 2 spring onions/green onions optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat.
- Add the ground turkey and cook, stirring frequently so that it is no longer pink.
- Add the chopped onion and bell pepper and cook for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent it sticking, until the onion and pepper have softened.
- Add the minced garlic, cayenne powder, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes (if using), salt and pepper and stir so that all it is all combined.
- Add the macaroni pasta, chopped canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, water and beans and give the mixture a good stir.
- Cover the pan and bring the mixture to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 10 - 12 minutes until the pasta is really tender. Stir every now and again to prevent anything sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Take the skillet off the heat and check the seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Stir in ¾ cup of shredded reduced fat mature cheese.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the dish along with some chopped green onions/spring onions before serving.
- Enjoy!
Marilyn says
I have made this and it is delicious! I am assuming since the recipe does not say that one serving is a cup?.
Marianne says
Hi Marilyn
Thank you for your comments.
The Turkey Chili Mac & Cheese recipes makes enough for 6 servings. Each recipe has the number of servings (yield) in the recipe card next to the prep time, cook time info although I must admit it's not very clear (I need to rectify that)!
Best of luck with your WW journey.
Kind regards
Marianne x
Julia says
Love this recipe! But did you mean 1/4 teaspoon of Cheyenne? That’s all I added and it was still spicy, but very yummy! Thanks for the super easy, low cal, one pot dinner!
Nina says
I think so. I used the full amount and it’s way too spicy to eat. I’m not really sensitive to spice either.