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–+ servings
A blue bowl filled with pasta and vegetables,

Cheesy Taco Pasta

Author Christi Johnstone
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
This easy one-pot Cheesy Taco Pasta recipe is a great weeknight family dinner that can be made in under 30 minutes.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • Large skillet, dutch oven or stock pot

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 16 oz red enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 8 oz small to medium size dried pasta rotini, penne and shells work well, approximately 2 cups
  • 4 oz cream cheese cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1-2 cups corn thawed if using frozen
  • 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar, Monterey or colby jack work well
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup sliced olives
  • sliced green olives for garnish if desired

Instructions

  • In a large pot or skillet (large enough to hold contents of entire recipe), over medium heat cook, cook ground beef until throughly browned.
  • Once meat is browned, add enchilada sauce, broth and pasta. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for approximately 7-8 minutes than start checking the progress of the pasta*. When pasta starts to reach al dente, add in cream cheese and half and half, and stir well. Cover and allow to cook for 1-2 more minutes. Stir in corn, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • When pasta is cooked to the texture you prefer, add in cheese, which can be stirred in or allowed to melt on the top. Sprinkle with any additional ingredients such as tomatoes, green onions or olives. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

 Remember this is a very flexible recipe!
Feel free to get creative with your ingredients. For example, if you have a can or bottle of enchilada sauce that is 12-14oz instead of 16oz, just use that, no need to open a second can for an ounce or two! Add a bit more beef broth to compensate.
Make sure to cover pasta while cooking. Because the pasta is cooking in the sauce and not a pot of water, it's important to retain all moisture.
*Different shapes and brands of pasta cook at different rates. Some pastas may be completely cooked in 8-1o minutes, others may take up to 20.
As a rule of thumb, start checking your pasta around the 8 minute mark. I find that pasta usually takes slightly more time than stated on box, due to the fact it's being cooked in a a smaller amount of liquid. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 897mg | Potassium: 440mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 802IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 3mg
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