This 5-ingredient, cheesy taco pasta casserole is one of those tried and true recipes you can doctor up according to what you have on hand or enjoy it as an easy weeknight dinner without all the extras.
It’s great in it’s basic form, but it’s also really versatile. I’m going to show you how to make this taco pasta casserole in it’s most basic form and then give you some ideas for ways to change it up — make it healthier, fancier, and even yummier.
Here’s everything you need: pasta shells (or any type of pasta you’d like), ground beef (you can also use ground chicken or turkey), taco seasoning, salsa (choose your favorite brand and type), and finally, a Mexican cheese blend.
Ingredients
2 lbs ground meat (beef, chicken and/or turkey) *See post for other ideas
1 (16oz) box pasta shells
1 (15.5oz) jar salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
1 (1oz) packet of taco seasoning + 1 cup water or milk
Optional: Add 1/2 cup cream cheese, sour cream, or half and half for a creamier sauce
Instructions
1.Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside. To make this using just one pot, use a dutch oven!
2.Using your dutch oven or a cast iron skillet, brown meat. When done, drain any fat.
3.Add your cooked pasta to the drained meat. (If you don’t have a dutch oven or cast iron skillet, you can move everything to a casserole dish.) Then layer with meat.
4.Next sprinkle the seasoning packet over the meat then pour water over top. Next add salsa.
5.Give everything a stir to mix ingredients together then top with shredded cheese.
6.Bake in the oven at 400˚ for about 18-22 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
7.Serve with any taco-style toppings you’d like. See above post for ideas!