Chili Mac Recipe

My roommate and I made this tonight and it was deliciously awesome! We got it from Hungry Girl (filling recipes that are all under 300 calories).

Ingredients:
One 14.5-oz. can stewed tomatoes, roughly chopped, juice reserved
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the kind by Boca or Morningstar Farms)
1 onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped portabella mushrooms
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 tsp. chili powder, or more to taste
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
1/4 tsp. ground cumin, or more to taste
5 oz. (about 1 1/4 cups) uncooked elbow macaroni with at least 2g fiber per 2-oz. serving
1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
Optional: cayenne pepper

Directions:
To make the chili, bring a large pot sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Add all ingredients -- including the reserved tomato juice -- except macaroni and cheese. Stir thoroughly. Cover and cook until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes, occasionally removing the lid to stir.

Meanwhile, prepare macaroni according to package instructions, in boiling water for about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Once both are cooked, add drained pasta to the pot of chili. Mix thoroughly. Season to taste with cayenne pepper and additional spices, if you like. Evenly top each serving with cheese and enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 3/4 cups
Calories: 297
Fat: 2g
Sodium: 637mg
Carbs: 55.5g
Fiber: 9.75g
Sugars: 11.5g
Protein: 19g

WW PointsPlus value = 8

I have to be honest, I was a little worried about using "beef-style soy crumbles" but it was actually really good! I couldn't really tell the difference with all of the other flavors in it! And before this recipe, I didn't realize that there is fat-free cheddar cheese available at all! Score!

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