Let's be honest. Sometimes cooking is not something we want to do, it's something we have to do. Feeding our family a (hopefully) delicious and (maybe) nutritious meal is a daily necessity, and even for a food lover such as myself the planning, shopping and execution of that whole thing can get tedious at times. Who wants to spend time figuring out what they're going to make, write out a list, drag a preschooler to the grocery store in the cold, come home and put it all away and then prepare a meal? Not me! So, if I were to tell you that I have a complete no-brainer recipe for you that makes a ton of food and tastes great, would you want to know about it? I thought so. Meet Chili Tortellini! Now, if you’re a faithful follower of Shel's Kitchen, you might remember One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese from November: chili and macaroni together in one cheesy dish that could not be beaten…until today. Picture the cheese element in that recipe replaced by cheese tortellini. Go ahead, I'll wait. That's right, now you can see (and almost taste) those little pillows of cheesy goodness tucked right into your spicy chili, giving it a much needed texture difference as you enjoy bite after cheesy, spicy bite. But wait, there’s more! This dish comes together in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for those chilly (see what I did there?) nights when you have to run back and forth to basketball, dance and karate; you can whip this up and leave it sitting in the pot on low while you run every which way and gobble it up whenever you have a minute. Dinner made easily and quickly because let's face it, life ain't always a cake walk...but dinner can be!
Chili Tortellini (adapted from picky-palate.com)
2 (9 oz.) packages fresh cheese tortellini
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef (I used 93%)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
4 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
2 (15 oz.) cans beans, drained and rinsed (I used kidney beans but pinto would work great too!)
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes
2 T. cumin
1 1/2 T. chili powder
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
Cook tortellini according to package directions then drain and set aside. While the tortellini cooks heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat then add the onion. Saute the onion for 5-7 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds more. Add the beef and stir, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper then add the broth, beans, tomatoes, cumin and chili powder. Simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. Add the cooked tortellini and cilantro and serve!
8 servings (362 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com
Chili Tortellini (adapted from picky-palate.com)
2 (9 oz.) packages fresh cheese tortellini1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef (I used 93%)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
4 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
2 (15 oz.) cans beans, drained and rinsed (I used kidney beans but pinto would work great too!)
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes
2 T. cumin
1 1/2 T. chili powder
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
Cook tortellini according to package directions then drain and set aside. While the tortellini cooks heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat then add the onion. Saute the onion for 5-7 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds more. Add the beef and stir, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper then add the broth, beans, tomatoes, cumin and chili powder. Simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. Add the cooked tortellini and cilantro and serve!
8 servings (362 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com
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