Name: Easy Taco Pasta Casserole
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 8 ounce pasta (uncooked, we used wide egg noodles); 2 tbsp taco seasoning (or 1 packet); 20 ounce tomatoes with green chilies (2 (10-ounce) cans, undrained); 4 ounce shredded cheddar cheese; 1-1/2 cups water; 8.5 oz cornbread mix; 1 large egg; 1/3 cup milk; diced tomato, sour cream and extra cheddar for garnish (optional)

Update Taco Tuesday with Easy Taco Pasta Casserole. With 8 ingredients and only 45 minutes you’ll have a tasty meal your family will love!

Casseroles are really popular here in Ohio when the weather turns cold , and this Easy Taco Pasta Casserole really hits the spot. With pasta, lots of cheese and a cornbread crust, it checks all of the comfort food boxes. The ingredients are easy to find and you may already have many of them in your pantry.

One of the best things about this recipe is that the pasta cooks right in the pan. No boiling pots of water or extra pans to clean up!

Take your flavor south of the border with this Easy Taco Pasta Casserole. With 8 ingredients and 45 minutes you'll have a tasty meal your family will love!

Taco meat makes even the simplest dishes taste amazing, and the kids will love it! As far as I’m concerned, you can’t have too many taco night recipes. One of our favorites you might want to try is Easy Taco Biscuit Casserole. It’s tasty and simple and made in one pan too!

HOW TO MAKE EASY TACO PASTA CASSEROLE

It doesn’t get much easier to put a hearty meal on the table than this one-pan pasta meal.

Ingredients needed to make this recipe:

Ground Beef – 80% lean or better will give the best results.
Uncooked Pasta – egg noodles were used for this recipe for the flavor and creaminess of the pasta. Macaroni, twist or shell pasta are great too.
Taco Seasoning – we love our homemade taco seasoning so we can control the salt and flavor or use your favorite packet mix.
Tomatoes with Green Chilies – for flavor, texture and mild heat. You can omit the green chilies if you don’t want the heat.
Cheddar Cheese – buy a big block and shred your own…it’s budget-friendly and melts more evenly.
Cornbread Mix – we used cornbread mix that comes in the small blue box. It’s always no-fail.
Egg – for the cornbread mix
Milk – for the cornbread mix

Directions:

First, preheat your oven to 400°. Let it get to temperature while you are cooking the other ingredients.
In a large oven-proof skillet, brown the ground beef over med-high heat. When no pink remains, drain off the fat.
Add the uncooked pasta, taco seasoning, both cans tomatoes with chilies (undrained), and water to the browned beef. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer covered over low heat for 20 minutes. Stir the pan occasionally.
When ready the pasta will be tender and all of the liquid will have been absorbed. Add the shredded cheese to the meat mixture and stir until the cheese is melted.
Stir the cornbread mix, egg and milk in a small bowl until well blended. Drop all of the mixture by the spoonful onto the taco/pasta mixture. Most of the taco mixture will be covered.
Bake in the skillet for 20 minutes until the cornbread topping is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving. Garnish as desired.

HOW TO STORE TACO PASTA LEFTOVERS

Though we generally don’t have any leftovers of this meal, cue up 3 hungry men with plates and forks in their hands, this casserole will keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days. Store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped.

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CAN I MAKE A THIS CASSEROLE WITH CHICKEN?

Yes, this recipe can be made with chicken. Substitute 1 pound of ground or diced chicken for the beef and prepare the casserole the same way. You can also use shredded or diced cooked chicken. For already cooked chicken, just omit the step for browning the meat.