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Easy Southwestern Weight Watchers Goulash

A lighter Southwestern-style goulash featuring lean ground meat, tomatoes, beans, corn, spices, and elbow macaroni. This filling skillet meal makes about 6 servings and is ready in approximately 40 minutes.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 2 cups Elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
Main Ingredients
  • 1 pound Lean ground turkey or 95% lean ground beef
  • 1 medium Medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium Medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
Sauce and Mix-Ins
  • 1 14-15 ounce can Diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 8 ounce can Tomato sauce
  • 1 15 ounce can Black beans or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15 ounce can Corn, drained
Seasonings
  • 1 tablespoon Chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Cook approximately 1 cup of dry elbow macaroni according to the package directions until just al dente. Drain well and set aside while preparing the Southwestern meat and tomato mixture.
  2. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the lean ground turkey or 95% lean ground beef, break it into small pieces, and cook until browned; drain any excess fat if needed.
  3. Add the chopped onion and green bell pepper to the browned meat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
  4. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant. Avoid cooking the garlic too long so it does not become bitter.
  5. Add the undrained diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, rinsed beans, drained corn, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Stir thoroughly to distribute the seasonings and vegetables.
  6. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. This gives the tomatoes time to form a savory sauce and lets the Southwestern flavors blend.
  7. Fold in the cooked elbow macaroni and continue heating for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot, taking care not to simmer the pasta too long because it can become soft and mushy.

Notes

Cook the macaroni only until al dente and stir it in at the end. Rinse canned beans thoroughly to remove excess sodium. The Weight Watchers Points value varies by program era and by the meat, pasta portion, cheese, beans, and corn used.