Description
Hearty “cheesy beef taco pasta” brings Mexican-inspired comfort straight to dinner tables with bold, zesty flavors. Spicy ground beef, melted cheese, and perfectly cooked pasta combine for a quick, satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 3 pounds ground beef
Pasta and Cheese:
- 1 box small shell pasta
- 1 block (16 ounces / 453 grams) Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 1 handful sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Seasonings and Additional Ingredients:
- 2 packs taco seasoning
- 1 can (10 ounces / 283 grams) original Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)
- 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
- Sizzle ground beef in a spacious skillet over medium heat until thoroughly browned, approximately 8-10 minutes. Eliminate excess fat and transfer meat to a separate dish.
- Simultaneously, initiate a pot of salted water to boiling. Immerse shell pasta, cooking until perfectly tender, roughly 8-9 minutes. Strain pasta and reserve.
- Utilize the identical skillet, melt Velveeta cheese cubes with milk, stirring continuously over medium heat until transformation into a velvety, uniform sauce, about 3-4 minutes.
- Introduce cooked pasta and previously browned beef into the molten cheese mixture. Gently fold ingredients to ensure comprehensive coverage.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning packets across the mixture, thoroughly integrating the robust, zesty flavors. Pour entire contents of Rotel, including liquid, mixing until harmoniously blended.
- Incorporate shredded sharp cheddar, stirring until cheese dissolves completely and melds with the existing sauce, creating a rich, creamy texture.
- Transfer to serving dishes immediately while piping hot. Optional: Embellish with additional cheddar, dollop of sour cream, or fresh cilantro for enhanced presentation and flavor complexity.
Notes
- Swap ground beef with lean turkey or plant-based crumbles for a healthier protein alternative.
- Experiment with different pasta shapes like rotini or penne to add textural variety.
- Use low-fat cheese and milk options to reduce overall calorie content without compromising flavor.
- Customize heat levels by selecting mild, medium, or hot taco seasoning packets based on personal spice preferences.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 774
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1020 mg
- Fat: 56 g
- Saturated Fat: 28 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 25 g
- Trans Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 47 g
- Cholesterol: 160 mg