Chorizo Queso Mac n’ Cheese

10 meals

From a reel by Stealth Health Life — watch the original

Ingredients

• 32oz 93% ground beef
• 8oz pork chorizo
• 1 Tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 Tablespoon ground paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 120g red enchilada sauce
• 14oz (400g) can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons garlic purée
• 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 orange bell peppers
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 onion
• 672g pasta, cooked to 50% (Aka, cook for half the time shown on the box)
• 800g 2% cottage cheese
• 100g 1/3 fat cream cheese
• 150g extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 30g cheddar powder
• 240g red enchilada sauce
• 300ml milk
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Optional: chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Chop the orange bell peppers, red bell peppers, and onion, then bake for 20-25 minutes.
2. In a slow cooker, combine the ground beef, pork chorizo, spice blend, red enchilada sauce, fire roasted tomatoes, garlic purée, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and apple cider vinegar.
3. Cook the mixture in the slow cooker on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 3-4 hours.
4. Prepare the blended queso sauce by blending the cottage cheese, cream cheese, extra sharp cheddar, cheddar powder, red enchilada sauce, and milk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the partially cooked pasta and the blended queso sauce to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes.
6. Divide the mixture into 10 equal portions and store in the freezer.
7. To reheat, microwave for approximately 4 minutes. Add 2-3 tablespoons of milk during reheating to maintain a creamy consistency. Top with optional cilantro.