Beefy Queso Loaded Potatoes

• servings: 5 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef (90/10)

1 cup tomato sauce

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

1 small zucchini

1 small onion

2 medium poblano pepper

4 oz mushrooms

1 tbsp oil

2 ⅕ lbs Yukon gold potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup cottage cheese

¼ cup cheddar cheese

¼ cup pepper jack cheese

3 tbsp 2% milk

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

½ tsp salt

Directions

For the Potatoes

Wash and cut 2.2 lbs or 1 kg worth of potatoes into a medium to large dice. No need to peel them, just wash the dirt off well.

Add the diced potatoes to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to your liking, drizzle in 1 tbsp of oil and toss to coat.

Spray a large sheet pan with oil and spread the potatoes out over the surface. Roast the potatoes at 400 °F for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through. Cook them until you have achieved your desired level of browning.

For the Vegetables

Wash and cut your vegetables. Cut the onions, peppers, and mushrooms into a large dice and the zucchini into a medium dice.

Heat a large skillet over high heat and add in about 2 tsp of oil. Add the peppers and onions first and allow them to cook for 3-5 minutes first to develop color. Season them lightly with salt.

Create some space in the center of your pan and add an additional 1 tsp of oil and dump in your mushrooms and zucchini. Season lightly with salt and give these a chance to brown.

Be sure not to overcook these as it will negatively impact their texture.

For the Taco Meat

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and brown the ground beef in 1 tbsp of oil.

Season the beef in the skillet with 1 tsp of salt, garlic powder, cumin, and paprika.

Once the beef is 90% of the way cooked, add in ½ cup of tomato sauce. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes to reduce and thicken.

For the Queso

Add the cottage cheese, pepper jack, cheddar, chipotles in adobo sauce, salt, and garlic powder to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about a minute to melt the cheeses.

Add to a blender with 3 tbsp of milk and blend until smooth.

Divide the queso out into smaller ramekins to store in each container.

Plating

This recipe makes 5 servings. Divide all of your ingredients evenly between them. This meal will last up to 5 days in the fridge.

Reheating

If you want your potatoes to be crispy, you will need to reheat them in the air fryer. I do 6 minutes at 400 °F.

Nutrition

• Calories: 667 kcal
• Total Fat: 33 g
• Total Carbohydrate: 45 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.9 g
• Protein: 48 g