[Recipe] - Meatless Mac and Meat w/Toasted Croutons

Happy New Year's, all!

As we start off in 2020, keep your goals in mind and your eyes turned to the future! We like making goals throughout the year -- not just on New Years, but not only is it a poetic and symbolic gesture to start the New Year off with a new goal -- it also helps us keep track of things :D

So a toast to everyone and their new goals!

Now, onto the recipe! This dish is great for a quick weeknight dinner, especially for those out there giving  #veganuary2020 a try! Depending on what types of noodles/sauce substrate you use, you can make this dish either vegan or vegetarian (we opt for the former), or high or low carb. This particular recipe is 100% plant-based (though, not low carb because, you know. Pasta). So we consider this a carb-cycling meal! For low carb, just omit the pasta entirely, or simply swap with your favorite low carb sub.

TBH, if you omit the pasta and just add an obscene amount of toasted croutons, you've basically got a super low carb Sloppy Joe in a Bowl. YES! (we're trademarking that).

Meatless Mac with Toasted Croutons:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Beyond Beef (Plant Based Ground)
• 16 oz Pasta of your choice
• 1 Jar Prego Traditional Italian Sauce (24 oz. Choose No Sugar Added to reduce carbs!)
• 4 slices SOKneady Bread Co. Classic Loaf
• 1/2 Tbsp Powdered Stevia

Instructions:

1. Cook the Beyond Beef in a medium-sized pot on the stove per the instructions (and to your preferred done-ness).
2. Once the Beyond Beef is done cooking, add the entire 24 oz jar of Prego Traditional Italian Sauce to the pot of Beyond Beef.
3. Stir the sauce into the Beyond Beef until well combined and add the powdered stevia. Continue mixing the sauce until it's uniformly distributed and fully heated throughout. Keep covered and remove from heat (you can also keep on very low heat, stirring occasionally while the noodles boil. Just don't forget about it!).
4. (Optional) add salt and/or pepper, to taste.
5. Boil up your noodles.
6. Toast your bread slices. We prefer a toaster oven set on about 4 or 5, flipping the slices as you see them begin to brown. Always keep an eye on the bread, as it may burn if you leave it unattended!
7. With the pasta and toast done, heat up your sauce again to your desired temperature and remove from heat.
8. Slice your toast and top your pasta with the Beyond Beef meat sauce.
9. Serve in a bowl and garnish with nutritional yeast and/or parsley (optional).
10. Enjoy!