Rich, gooey and utterly scrumptious, cheesy taco pasta is a great way to feed a crowd fast. One pot cheesy taco pasta is not only easy on your budget, but also on your time. It requires very little prep work, and is something even the kids can have fun cooking.
We love serving this easy pasta recipe with a fresh spinach strawberry salad for a complete delicious meal!
Cheesy Taco Pasta Recipe
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Taco Pasta Ingredients
Ingredients for this taco pasta recipe are super simple. A package of taco seasoning mix is the secret to ensuring a sensational Tex-Mex flavor. To make this recipe, you will also need a box of shell or macaroni pasta, ground beef, Velveeta, cream cheese, milk and a chopped onion.
For garnishing, use shredded lettuce, chopped fresh tomato, sour cream and, for even more flavor, shredded cheese. As you can see this is definitely one dish for the cheese and dairy lovers out there!
How to Make Taco Pasta
Easy cheesy taco pasta comes together in a flash. Here’s all you do to get this filling and satisfying meal on the table in no time:
- Prepare the pasta.
- Brown ground beef and onion.
- Add taco seasoning and water.
- Stir in the cheeses until melted and the sauce is bubbling.
- Combine everything together, top with garnishes and serve!
Another option is to make a cheesy taco pasta bake. Just place the pasta and sauce mixture in a casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese, and bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes or until the topping is melted and bubbling.
Serve cheesy taco pasta with a simple side dish, like steamed broccoli, baby peas, or a fresh green salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
How Long Does Taco Pasta Last?
In my house the answer to that question is, “Not very long!” But assuming you do have leftovers, you can rest assured they will hold up well in the refrigerator for at least four days. This dish is just a tasty the second time around.
As a terrific make-in-advance meal, cheesy taco pasta can’t be beat. It will hold in the freezer for at least four months. So the next time you make it, consider doubling the recipe and freezing half. I promise, no one will complain about you serving this delicious pasta dish a second time!
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta – seriously delicious
- Garlic Shrimp Pasta – family favorite
- Italian Sausage Pasta – so good
- Chicken Stuffed Shells – shortcut sauce recipe
- Easy Tuscan Pasta – a classic
- Creamy One Pot Pasta recipe! – extra creamy
Cheesy Taco Pasta recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni or shell pasta
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese cut into chunks
- 4 oz of Velveeta cubed
- 1 cup milk
for garnish:
- shredded cheese
- 1 tomato diced
- lettuce chopped
- sour cream
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the ground beef is completely cooked, drain off the fat, and return to skillet.
- Add taco seasoning and amount of water indicated on the taco seasoning package.
- Once liquid has simmered down a bit, add cream cheese, milk, and Velveeta and stir to combine. Cook until cream cheese is melted and mixture is thick and bubbling.
- Pour meat and cheese mixture into a large bowl and add pasta.
- Garnish with sour cream, tomatoes, cheese, and lettuce as desired.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Fantastic recipe! Easy, fast and delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
You’re very welcome, so happy to hear that you love the pasta Lisa!
About how many servings does this make?
Hi Danielle, this recipe makes 6 servings.
This looks amazing, but being on a tight TIGHT budget, I’ll use hamburger helper. I’ll def try this soon!!
Great idea Joan! Enjoy.
I absolutely love velveeta cheese! This does look amazing and I’m loving the budget friendly aspect! This one is going on the menu this week for our family dinners! Thanks for an easy recipe!
So happy to hear that Amanda! Enjoy the pasta 🙂
Wow! This is like my 2 favourite recipes in one — tacos and pasta! I also love how easy it is to make. Can’t wait to try it!
Right? So yummy Sam!!