Turkey Chili Mac (makes me happy)

Sorry for the lack of WeightWatcher Wednesday posts lately. I actually wasn't sure WWWednesday had a readership until a couple of friends from church mentioned they had been missing it. (Very sweet of you two). So now to the meat of the matter...(ha)

I know what you're thinking....chili in May? For some reason the simplicity of this recipe just had me at hello. And the elbow mac really cuts the chili-ish-ness a lot. It's just a yummy dish. And great in the lunch the next day. This is David's favorite right now. 

1 cup uncooked enriched multigrain elbow macaroni (such as Barilla Plus), note: if you use regular elbow mac, it will up your points value

cooking spray

1 pound ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, chopped and undrained (you can cut these in the can with kitchen shears)

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded 2% reduced fat Cheddar cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting fat; drain.

2. While pasta cooks, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat it with Pam and add turkey, onion and next five ingredients. Cook 7 minutes or until turkey is done.

3. Add cooked pasta, beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups).

POINTS value per serving: 6

We serve this with cornbread (from a mix). I always try to buy the mix that you only add water to so you don't increase the points by adding milk, eggs, etc. This type is 3 points per piece, but if you think about it, a piece is actually 2 when cut in half and buttered with Brummel & Brown!