Crock-Pot Cheeseburger Mac n’ Cheese

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef (you would also use Beyond Meat ground or any meatless alternative)
½ yellow onion, diced, or 2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced, or 3 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 cups beef or vegetable stock, divided
2 cups of water
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes
3 tbsp Smak Dab Mustard (any flavour will do!)
12 ounces pasta, about 3 ½ cups (any short tubular or spiral pasta, such as macaroni or rigatoni)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, add ground beef and cook until browned, about 5-10 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.
Add onion and garlic, cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in pepper, paprika, oregano and tsp salt. Pour the meat into the Crock-Pot.
Stir in 4 cups of stock, water, pasta, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Cover and cook on high for 1½ to 2 hours, until the pasta is tender, but not overcooked. (Cook time will vary on the pasta, start with 1½ hours and adjust from there). Stir once halfway through the cook time and be sure to smooth into an even layer so it is well coated with the sauce.
Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and add the cheese. Stir to combine. Add a splash of stock as needed if the pasta looks dry, the cheese will melt into the liquid to create a luxurious creamy cheese sauce.
Cover the mac and cheese for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.