Stove Top Chili Mac

During the summer months when the temperature is rising and it's heating up in the house, you don't want to do a whole lot of cooking to make it warmer and make the A/C work harder. I try to avoid turning the oven on but that darn husband likes frozen pizzas. Everyday Food Magazine showcased stove top meals in their September issue. I like stovetop and one pot meals, less mess and less dishes.We used ground turkey instead of hamburger and might have added some bacon. Bacon, like butter, makes everything taste better. Which reminds me, I'm out of butter. This recipe mixes late summer produce and hearty fall flavors. Which means you can start using up more of that produced!

We used penne and elbow macaroni pasta, it's what we had in the pantry.

We did like this recipe. Barry is getting use to seeing zuchinni in everything. I topped this off with green onions and more cheese. Cheese, like butter and bacon, makes everything taste good! This does make a lot so plan on having leftovers.

Recipe:
Serves 4, Active time: 25 minutes, Total time: 45 minutes

• course salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound  tube shaped pasta (like the penne)
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup corn kernels thawed if frozen 
• 1 small zucchini diced medium ( you can scoop the seeds out if you want)
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 2 ounces cheddar, grated (3/4 cup)
• Bacon (Garnish)
• Green onions (Garnish)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook pasta to what it says on the box. Drain and return to pot but don't do this to far in advance otherwise your pasta will get sticky. Meanwhile, in a large skillet  heat oil over medium. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion is translucent, 3 minutes.
   
2. Increase heat to medium-high, add turkey, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain that fat off. Get a different wooden spoon as that has been contaminated.  Add cumin and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add corn and zucchini and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Open that can and add tomatoes and juice, bring to a simmer, and cook until mixture is heated with salt and pepper. Divide pasta among four bowls, top with meat sauce, and sprinkle with cheese, bacon and green onions

Adapted from: Everyday Food, September 2011, pg 82