Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepper, to taste 8-10 cups cooked pasta, such as spaghetti or macaroni and cheese, drained and rinsed Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking dish large enough to fit the mixture. Mix together ground beef, cheddar cheese, chopped onion, chili powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with cooked pasta on top.
Ground meat, onion, garlic, chopped jalapeno for a bit of a kick, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, taco seasoning, and cheddar mixed with pasta shells make an amazing taco pasta recipe that I am sure all of you will love!
How To Make Cheesy Taco Pasta?
Cooking The Pasta: Making The Sauce: Assembling The Dish: Mix the sauce into the cooked pasta and add the remaining ½ cup of cheese. Stir everything up and serve with chopped fresh cilantro on top.
Variations and Substitutions:
Using a jar of salsa will make it easier by replacing the chopped onion, garlic, jalapeno, and diced tomatoes. If you don’t have fire-roasted diced tomatoes, regular ones are ok to use. You can use ground chicken or turkey for a lower-calorie dish. If you wish to make it Italian, use Italian seasoning instead of taco seasoning, remove the jalapeno and use basil instead of cilantro. You can add other ingredients like sliced black olives, red or green bell peppers, and whole kernel corn.
For homemade taco seasoning, these are the spices you need:
1 tbsp chili powder ¼ tsp garlic powder ¼ tsp onion powder ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes ⅛ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper
Storing The Leftovers:
Before storing the leftovers, wait for the pasta to cool completely, then place it in an airtight container into the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 4 months. To reheat, simply thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a skillet over medium heat. I recommend adding a tablespoon of water to the pasta before reheating.
