Description
This taco pasta casserole is a quick and tasty meal perfect for busy weeknights. It combines simple ingredients for meals 5 ingredients or less and easy weekend recipes with ground hamburger. Enjoy a fun, family-friendly dinner that’s both easy and satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs ground beef or use chicken and or turkey
- 16 oz pasta shells
- 15.5 oz salsa
- ½ cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- 2 (1oz) packets taco seasoning (¼ cup if using bulk taco seasoning)
- 1 ½ cups water
- Optional for Creamy Sauce ½ cup cream cheese or sour cream
Instructions
- Start by warming your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, drain it well and set aside.
- Heat a large dutch oven or oven-safe skillet on high, add the ground meat and stir until fully browned, then drain excess grease.
- Mix the cooked pasta into the browned meat.
- If you don’t have a dutch oven or skillet, transfer the mixture into a casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning evenly over the meat, then pour the water on top.
- Add the salsa and mix everything thoroughly.
- Spread the shredded cheese on top of the mixture, and for a creamier touch, stir in sour cream or cream cheese as desired.
- Place the casserole into the oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes until the cheese has melted and the sauce bubbles.
- Take out the casserole and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Optionally, add your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
- For creamier sauce, try substituting the water with milk
- You can also stir in sour cream
- For more sauce, you can use less pasta or add another jar of salsa
- To make this using just one pot, use a dutch oven
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1cup
- Calories: 435kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 426mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g + 9g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 70mg