Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac n’ Cheese

Ingredients

• 896 g chicken breast (diced; 32 oz)
• 6 slices turkey bacon (chopped)
• 1 packet ranch seasoning
• 30 g hot honey (1.5 Tbsp)
• 1 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)
• garlic powder (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• red chili flakes (to taste)
• 3 sweet onions
• 6 jalapeños or fresno chilis (diced)
• 8 cloves garlic (minced)
• 450 ml chicken bone broth (16 oz)
• 800 g 2% cottage cheese
• 160 g parmigiano reggiano
• 420 g fat free milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder (for sauce)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• 672 g pasta (dry weight; cooked to 50% (half the box time))
• 10 slices centercut bacon (baked until crispy)
• fresh chives (handful, chopped for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   In a pan over medium-high heat, cook down the 3 sweet onions until they start to brown.

2. 2

   Add the 6 diced jalapeños (or fresno chilis) and 8 cloves of minced garlic to the onions.

3. 3

   Pour 450ml (16oz) of chicken bone broth over the onion and pepper mixture. Increase heat to high and let the liquid boil until it is completely reduced.

4. 4

   To your slow cooker, add the 896g of diced chicken breast, 6 slices of turkey bacon, 1 packet of ranch seasoning, 30g of hot honey, and 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill. Season with garlic powder, black pepper, and red chili flakes to taste.

5. 5

   Pour the reduced onion, pepper, and bone broth mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine.

6. 6

   Cover and cook on High for 2-3 hours or on Low for 3-4 hours.

7. 7

   While the chicken cooks, prepare the blended sauce: in a blender, combine 800g cottage cheese, 160g parmigiano reggiano, 420g fat free milk, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth.

8. 8

   Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange 10 slices of centercut bacon on a baking sheet and bake for 16 minutes or until desired crispiness is reached. Chop once cooled.

9. 9

   Boil 672g of pasta for exactly half the time indicated on the box instructions (cooked to 50%). Drain and set aside.

10. 10

    Once the slow cooker time is up, use tongs to lightly shred the chicken. Pour the blended cheese sauce into the slow cooker and add a handful of chopped chives. Stir well.

11. 11

    Add the half-cooked pasta to the slow cooker. Mix thoroughly and let it cook for another 10-15 minutes to allow the pasta to finish cooking and the sauce to thicken.

12. 12

    Stir in the chopped crispy centercut bacon before serving.

Notes

For accurate serving sizes: weigh your empty slow cooker before starting. Once finished, weigh it again and subtract the empty weight to get the total weight of the recipe. Divide by 11 for the exact weight per serving. Storage: Store frozen. To reheat, microwave for 3-4 minutes with 2-3 tablespoons of milk or water (covered with a paper towel), stir, then microwave for another 1-2 minutes. Add more liquid as needed to reach desired creaminess.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• slow-cooker
• meal-prep
• high-protein
• macro-friendly
• pasta
• chicken
• bacon