Santa Fe Skillet

I know I have been posting a bunch from the Simple and Delicious magazine, but it is just full of winners- fast and easy meals that taste great! This was one of those. I whipped this up in no time and found a good use for some left-over salsa that was about to go bad. I know it was probably "cheating" but I had just a bit of cream left (probably about 1/4 cup) and I poured it in. It made it rich and creamy. I thought the whole dish was great.

Santa Fe Skillet
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean) (I used turkey burger.)
1 small onion, chopped
1 package (6 ounces) four-cheese corkscrew pasta mix (I just used whole wheat spiral noodles and added a bit of extra cheese- even a little Parmesan, because who has that "four-cheese pasta mix" on hand?)
2 cups salsa
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream, optional

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir the pasta, contents of seasoning packet, salsa, water, chili powder, salt and cayenne into the skillet.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender, adding more water if necessary. Stir in tomatoes; sprinkle with olives and cheese. Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/4 cup (calculated without sour cream) equals 287 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 49 mg cholesterol, 1,061 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 19 g protein.