This high-protein queso mac and cheese is made entirely in the slow cooker and is one of my most popular meal prep recipes for a reason: 10 servings, freezer-friendly, and packed with 46g of protein per serving. And it tastes as indulgent as it looks.
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, Makes 10):
540 Calories
46g Protein
62g Carbs
13g Fat
I’ve said it for a while – the slow cooker is the ultimate meal prepping machine. It makes high volume meal prepping low-effort, repeatable, and almost impossible to mess up. This recipe is the perfect example of using a slow cooker to its true potential.
My Cookbooks:
Find My Frozen Meals in Grocery Stores (COUNTER):
Disposable Meal Prep Containers I Use:
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FULL RECIPE:
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🍗 Slow Cooked Chicken:
900g (32oz) chicken breast
120g (1/2 cup) red enchilada sauce
113g (4oz can) hatch green chiles
400g (14oz) can of fire roasted tomatoes
2 tablespoons garlic purée
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp coarse salt
🧅 Veggies:
2 orange bell peppers
2 red bell peppers
1 onion
🍝 Pasta:
672g (24oz) pasta, cooked to 50%
(Aka, cook for half the time shown on the box)
🧀 Queso Mac Sauce:
800g (3.5 cups) 2% cottage cheese
100g (1/2 cup) reduced fat cream cheese
150g (5oz/1.25 cups) shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
120g (1/2 cup) red enchilada sauce
150g (~2/3 cup) fat free milk
60g cheddar powder (2 mac & cheese packets)
Salt & pepper to taste
🍃 Garnish:
Chopped cilantro
Separate into 10 evenly sized servings. I store all meal preps frozen, and suggest you do the same for the best flavor over time. Simply toss in the microwave for 4-5 minutes straight from frozen, mix, then microwave another minute or two to reheat. Optionally, add a splash of milk to help reconstitute the sauce.
ADDITIONAL NOTE:
If you have trouble with the sauce splitting, or not emulsifying, try adding in a few slices of American cheese (for this one, I’d suggest replacing the cheddar powder with 4-5 slices of American). American cheese contains sodium citrate, which is an emulsifying salt. Simply put, it helps relax the protein networks in dairy, and keeps the proteins from seizing/tightening when exposed to heat. You can also buy sodium citrate online in its pure form, but it can be a bit more pricy. Also, occasionally the issue is caused by the cottage cheese. Look for a cottage cheese that is thick, creamy, and with smaller curds – instead of runny with very large curds.
Enjoy!
Is 672g cooked or uncooked pasta?
Please do more of these long form videos! Thanks!
Appreciate this video,,,we had the recipe in our meal plan only we did not know what to do with the vegetables.
Thank you for posting this.
How do you reheat meals as most meals don’t reheat well? Thanks
If yall don’t want to grate fresh cheese, you can buy the pre-shredded and wash the cheese to get rid of the starch coating. I made the recipe that way and it was so easy and the sauce was perfectly smooth.