Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Mac

Ingredients

• 1 onion, medium (chopped)
• 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
• 15 ounce can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
• 15 ounce can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 8 ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni pasta (uncooked)
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (about 6 oz, divided (or Monterey jack or mozzarella))
• chopped green onions (for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place all ingredients except for pasta, cheese, and green onions in slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6-8 hours.

2. 2

   Stir in pasta and continue cooking on high for 15-20 minutes, until pasta is cooked through. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese.

3. 3

   Serve topped with remaining cheese and green onions.

4. 4

   To make this a freezer to crock pot meal:

5. 5

   Place all ingredients except for broth, pasta and cheese in a heavy duty zip-top bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.

6. 6

   When you are ready to cook, thaw and transfer bag contents to your slow cooker. Add the broth (you can pour some of the broth into the empty bag to get all of the spices, etc. out) and cook as directed above.