- 8
Ingredients
- vegetable oil spray
- 1 slice high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 onions, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 1/2 cups water, plus extra hot water as needed
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 ounce)
Preparation
Step 1
Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar and coat with vegetable oil spray. Mash bread and milk into paste in large bowl using fork. Mix in ground beef, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper using hands.
Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, chili powder, garlic, and cumin and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in beef mixture and cook, breaking up any large pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and brown sugar, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
Stir in macaroni, water, 1 cup Monterey Jack, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; transfer to prepared slow cooker. Sprinkle with remaining cup Monterey Jack. Cover and cook until pasta is tender, about 2 hours on high.
Remove foil collar. Gently stir pasta, adding additional hot water as needed to loosen sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.