The Runner's Palate: July Recipe

This month's Runner's Palate recipe is a follow-up on The Power of Protein! post I did a few days ago. The featured recipe—Turkey Macaroni—packs a whopping 34g of protein per serving and it's low in fat (4.5g) and calories (300). This recipe is super-easy to make and it's from my favorite cook book—Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly. My kids gobble this up!

Turkey Macaroni
Ingredients:

1 tsp. vegetable oil (I use olive or canola)

1½ lbs. 99% fat-free ground turkey

2 10¾-oz. cans condensed low-sodium tomato soup, undiluted

16-oz. can corn, drained

½ cup onions, chopped

4-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1 Tbsp. prepared mustard

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. garlic powder

2 cups dry macaroni, cooked and drained

Directions:

1. Heat oil in medium skillet. Brown turkey. Drain

2. Combine all ingredients except the macaroni in a 5-quart slow cooker. Stir to blend. Cover.

3. Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 4-6 hours. Stir in cooked and drained macaroni 15 minutes before serving.

Variations:
1. Vegetarian? Substitute the ground turkey with vegetarian meat crumbles that are made from textured vegetable protein. There are several brands available such as Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Grillers™ Recipe Crumbles™, Bocca Ground Burger, and Lightlife Smart Menu Crumbles.
2. To make this an even heartier meal, use whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta like Mueller's Whole-Grain Pasta. Barilla Plus is also a good choice. It has extra protein, ALA omega-3, and almost twice the fiber of traditional pasta.

3. Make it fun. You don't have to use macaroni pasta. Use rotini, penne, bowtie, shells, or what ever strikes your fancy or will entice your kids, if you have them.

4. On a gluten-free diet? Try using Barkat Macaroni Gluten-Free Pasta! You can find an entire array of gluten-free products at GlutenFreeMall.com.