Taco Mac-n-Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 yellow bell peppers, diced

• 2 red bell peppers, diced

• 1 onion

• 2lbs lean ground beef

• 1 low-sodium taco seasoning packet

• Chili powder, to taste

• Garlic powder, to taste

• Splash of water

• 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce

• 1lb Cellentani noodles (or your noodles of choice)

• 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese

• 2 Tbsp cheddar powder

• 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese

• 10g nutritional yeast

• 1/2-3/4 cup fat-free Fairlife milk (or your milk of choice)

• Hot sauce, optional to mix in cheese sauce

• Chili pepper flakes, to garnish

Instructions:

1. Begin by dicing bell peppers and onions (I threw them into a food processor). Cook them in a large pan over medium heat until they are softened, usually takes ~10 minutes. (you’ll use this same pan for the ground beef)

2. Start boiling salted water. When the veggies are almost finished cooking, add pasta to the boiling water.

3. Remove veggies from the pan and start cooking beef over medium-high heat. Once nearly fully cooked, add taco seasoning, chili powder, garlic powder, a splash of water, and red enchilada sauce. Mix in the pepper and onion mixture.

4. Mix the cooked pasta and beef mixture together. In a blender (or food processor), add the cottage cheese, cheddar powder, shredded cheese, nutritional yeast, and milk. Blend for 60-90 seconds to create a creamy cheese sauce. You don’t want it to be too thin, but portable. Optional: add hot sauce for extra spice.

5. Mix the cheese sauce with the pasta and beef mixture. Optional: add more enchilada sauce depending on desired taco taste.

6. Top with chili pepper flakes and enjoy!