So Good You Will Never Know It's Low Carb

I was reading Frugal Housefrau the other day and  saw this recipe for an instapot chili mac meal. I am not generally a huge fan of any chili mac dish, but this one was made with taco seasonings rather than a traditional heavy chili flavor. Though I do have an instapot (which I have yet to use) I knew I was going to have to ketofy the dish and of course cauliflower would be taking place of most of the pasta, so I just opted for a stovetop version. The end results were so good, not just to me, but DIL2 and Son2 raved about it and TheHub asked if we could put this in our regular rotation. If the term keto puts you off, just substitute low carb. I mean, with the exception of my uber thin mother, who can't benefit from a dish with lower carbs? (This week Mom's doc actually told her to eat ice cream, cake and cookies. I can guarantee you, no doc has ever, or will ever say the same to me )

                                                         Macless Chili  and Cheese

           (Sorry for the bad photo, This was literally my dinner bowl, it was hot and I was hungry)

1 pound (or more, your choice) ground sirloin, lean
1 onion chopped
1 yellow sweet pepper (chopped or in strips, your choice)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small head cauliflower in small pieces (think shooter marble size)
1 1/2 cup chopped zucchini (it is a great use for 3/4 of a big ass zucchini)
1 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
3/4 teaspoon  cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 ish teaspoon salt
1 can crushed tomatoes (I used the 28 ounce size, but I love tomatoes)
sharp grated cheddar cheese
sour cream

In a large saute pan, brown the beef until almost brown, then toss in the onions and peppers. Cook until they begin to wilt. Add the garlic powder and salt and stir to make sure these first components of the dish are seasoned. Add the olive oil then the  cauliflower and zucchini and let them cook a minute of two, add the remaining spices (yes include the additional garlic powder and salt) and stir well. Pour the tomatoes over the mix and let it cook (medium/medium low heat) for about 20 minutes. The liquid from the tomatoes will reduce greatly and you will be left with this wonderful moist stew. Serve in bowls and top with grated sharp cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Next time I will add some guacamole to top it, but I had no avocados.

I served it with just a side of angel hair slaw and thick slices of buttered warm French bread  to make it a complete meal. (For everyone but me. I really wanted some of that bread too but it is not even a little bit keto)

I added this to my list of tried and true meals to satisfy my way of eating that are equally appealing to those who can eat whatever the heck they want and not gain an ounce. I am pretty sure they are all the spawn of Satan put on Earth to torment me!