This Chili Mac is not just easy to make, it's gluten free too!
Sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organics. The opinions and text are all mine.
While many kids in general have food sensitivities, special needs kids seem to have them even more frequently. My seven year old daughter is autistic, and while she doesn't have any allergies, many of her little friends do. Don't think I get off easy though, she is an excruciatingly fussy eater. She does enjoy macaroni and cheese though, and the new Horizon Organic Gluten-free Mac went over very well with her.
She loves helping me in the kitchen, but has motor control difficulties in addition to her communication struggles, so I keep her cooking participation away from the stove.
She watches me closely, so is pretty good at gathering ingredients for dishes she has seen me make before (especially those she likes). We also count items together, and I show her measurements. She "gets" far more than she can express or physically complete at this time. By teaching her the preparations, she will already know what to do, when her body catches up with her mind.
In the meantime, she get most of her hands on actions with the "squishy" jobs she loves like stretching pizza dough and making cookies. As long as she gets to help in some way, she is happy, and enjoys the results that much more.
The dish I'm sharing today, was created with kids in mind. It is not spicy, I kept the chili very simple and preparation does not require any knife use. Most children would enjoy it, and many can either prepare it themselves or help.
I would never even try my late husband's chili mac, but loved this. Yes, I'm probably almost as fussy as a kid, so that is saying something.
Ingredients
- 1 box of Horizon Organic Gluten Free Mac Macaroni & White Cheddar
- ½ lb low fat ground turkey
- 1 ½ tbs chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅓ cup marinara
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Broil pot of water to boil, add pasta.
- While water is heating and pasta is cooking, brown turkey, then add chili powder, onion powder and marinara. stir and reduce heat to low.
- When pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and add to ground turkey, along with seasoning mix and milk.
- Stir well, and cook for a minute. Turn off burner.
- Serve with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar over the hot chili mac.
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Linda says
We love mac and cheese, especially my oldest and youngest sons. I think i will make a trip to grocery store to get Horizon Mac and Cheese and give it a test with my boys.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
That sounds amazing. I love new ways to make mac & cheese. Not that I don't love plain mac & cheese, because I do, but I also like it with a twist sometimes 🙂
Alicia says
We love chili and kids love Mac n cheese so I'm sure that we could make it and see how well we like it!
Allison says
This sounds like an easy and yummy meal to pull together - especially on busy school nights! Thanks for sharing!
Jamie H says
This looks so good! Nice to see some great gluten free recipes out these days.
Jeannette says
This looks delicious! I had no idea that Horizon had gluten free products but I need to try them out! Thanks for sharing the info and the recipe!
Avry says
Chili cheese macaroni sounds like a great dinner plan to me! Luckily we don't have to worry about gluten free at our home but this is a nice alternative to those who do.
Crystal says
Yum, this looks so good. We are huge mac & cheese fans here. But it's nice to mix it up and add other things in.
Liz Mays says
What a great idea to use a gluten-free box of mac and cheese for this. Looks delish!
Melissa says
This looks so good. I never would have thought to adding more to regular mac and cheese.
Ellen ThatChicMom says
I had no idea anyone even offered gluten free mac and cheese! I need to pin this recipe for when we have playdates with kids who have food allergies thanks so much!
Shannon Schmid says
Oh my word! That looks so yummy. I've barely finished my morning cup of coffee and now i am dying to make that for lunch! Love that its kid friendly - but a little more sophisticated than plain mac and cheese!