Goodles, for the unfamiliar, are the latest addition to the list of high protein boxed mac and cheese contenders. I’m a big fan of their products and nutrition labels, and I especially love the wide variety of flavors. This recipe combines extra lean ground beef, onion and pepper, and green chiles with Goodles Down the Hatch to make a high protein mac n cheese that’s loaded with protein, fiber, and big flavors.
It’s giving Hamburger Helper with a Tex-Mex twist and a lot fewer calories.
Everything You’ll Need and Making Substitutions
Don’t have Goodles on hand or accessible in stores near you (they have a store locator here)? Have no fear! You can make this ground beef mac and cheese with any ol’ boxed macaroni n cheese. I’ve used Banza chickpea pasta in tons of my healthy pasta recipes and they make a boxed mac and cheese now.
Worst case, use Kraft or another generic mac. You should still have plenty of protein in this dish with slightly less fiber.
Side note: Goodles makes tons of flavors and shapes, like the Shella Good classic macaroni I used in my Crockpot chili mac recipe or the Twist My Parm spirals in my ground chicken pasta.
Aside from the Goodles, you will need some extra lean ground beef. Staying away from red meat? Ground turkey or chicken will work fine. That’s what my ultimate protein mac and cheese uses, after all.
Next, the recipe calls for diced onion and poblano or bell peppers. While they DO add flavor and extra fiber, you can get by without them. Though I’ll mention, the picky eater in my house loved this recipe even with the veggies.
If you wanted to save some prep time and keep your cutting board clean, you could draw inspiration from my turkey enchilada casserole and use frozen fajita veggies. Just toss them in at the same point you would freshly diced onion and peppers.
And last but not least, you have chicken bone broth and freshly grated cheese. I like using the former whenever possible to give dishes a bit more protein and flavor. And the later is a must-have even with the cheese packets from the Goodles. It thickens everything up and adds a creaminess that just can’t be matched with dried cheese powder. Be sure to use freshly grated cheese for best results.
I’ll keep this post short and sweet. If you have a question about an ingredient swap, cooking method, or anything else, leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
And be sure to come back around to let me know your thoughts about this ground beef and Goodles combo via a recipe review. Those are always appreciated!
Ground Beef and Goodles
Green chile ground beef with high protein hatch chile popper mac and cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 pound Extra Lean Ground Beef
- 1 medium White Onion, diced
- 2 Poblano or Bell Peppers, diced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 4 oz can Diced Green Chiles
- 2 boxes Goodles Down the Hatch (or your choice of boxed mac and cheese)
- 4 cups Chicken Bone Broth (or water)
- 4-6 oz Freshly Grated Colby Jack or Monterey Jack Cheese
- Cilantro and Limes, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large braising pan, Dutch oven, or heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat with one teaspoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the ground beef and brown one side for 3-4 minutes to form a crust before breaking apart to fully cook.
- After breaking apart the ground beef, add the onion, pepper, salt, and spices. Mix everything together and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until the beef is fully cooked.
- Add the diced green chiles and Goodles (or your choice of macaroni) to the cooked beef and stir everything together. Make sure to set the cheese packets from the mac and cheese aside.
- Add the broth and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked and nearly all the broth has cooked off.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the reserved cheese mix packets. Stir to evenly incorporate before folding in the freshly grated cheese. Start with four ounces and add up to six ounces to reach your desired level of cheesiness.
- Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
The nutrition facts are with 4 ounces of cheese. Add 28 calories, 1.5g protein, and 2.5 g fat per serving for the full 6 ounces.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: about 8 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 295Total Fat: 9gCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 5gProtein: 25g
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Elle
Tuesday 3rd of December 2024
Very good. I made several changes due to ingredients I had on hand. I used leftover turkey instead of the ground beef, nutritional yeast instead of the cheese packets and regular pasta. Thank you for the inspiration!
Bea
Thursday 12th of September 2024
THANK YOU FOR EXISTING 💕 from one Texan to another, your recipes have made mindful eating so much more enjoyable in our household
Anna
Monday 9th of September 2024
Keep the Goodles recipes coming! They are amazing!