Recipe: One-Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta

Patty Catalano
Patty CatalanoFood Editor at The Kitchn
The only subject that has ever held my attention has been food, because there’s no end to what you can taste, smell, learn, and cook. I patchworked my way to recipe development and food writing by earning degrees in Family & Consumer Sciences (you may have known it as Home Ec) and Food, Nutrition, and Culinary Science, and working anywhere that would take me: university food services, local bakeries, and the set of Good Eats on Food Network. Early on, I asked my mom how she knew what a cookbook recipe (with no pictures) would look and taste like. While my mom was there to teach me, I realized that not everyone has someone to turn to for trusted cooking guidance. I try every day to be that person for The Kitchn’s readers by sharing smart recipes they can feel proud to serve. Recipe development is the most fun job I can imagine, but it also comes with a lot of dirty dishes and hours spent in the grocery store. I’ve found that I actually really love grocery shopping — especially at Costco and Aldi — and it brings me such joy to share my finds with The Kitchn readers.
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updated Jan 29, 2020
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With smoky seasoned ground beef, spicy salsa, and gooey cheese, this one-pot pasta dinner is everything you love about the classic ground beef taco without the tortilla.

Serves4 to 6

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

You can quench a taco craving with fish tacos, chicken tacos, cauliflower tacos, or breakfast tacos, but a ground beef taco is the quintessential taco in my book. When weeknight cooking calls for serving a crowd, trade tortillas for tender noodles and serve it hot and bubbling straight from the Dutch oven.

This weeknight pasta checks all the right boxes with family-friendly flavor, a streamlined ingredient list, and simple one-pot prep.

Flour or corn? Hard or soft? You can skip all the decision-making with this one-pot taco casserole by trading macaroni noodles for traditional tortillas. Pantry-friendly ingredients like store-bought salsa, canned beans, and taco seasoning make weeknight cooking easy.

But just because you take a helping hand from the grocery store does not mean your meal is left uninspired. Customize this cheesy taco pasta by pouring in your favorite salsa. This week, make it with hot and spicy restaurant-style salsa, and next time switch it up with green tomatillo salsa.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

The Dutch Oven Is a One-Pot Dinner Hero

Cooked in a Dutch oven or a high-sided skillet (like a cast iron skillet), this taco pasta goes from stovetop to broiler, then straight onto the table. A Dutch oven is the weeknight hero that takes you from browning meat to boiling noodles all without skipping a beat or switching a pot. The heavy bottom of this pot browns the beef evenly, helping it to develop rich and savory flavors. The dry noodles go in along with a restrained amount of broth and salsa — just enough for the noodles to plump from soaking up the tomato-rich liquid.

After the casserole simmers on the stove, sprinkle with even more cheese and slide it under the broiler. Bubbling and brown, the taco casserole is ready to serve. Scoop into bowls and top with diced avocado, sour cream, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Forgo the assembly line and transform tacos into a one-pot pasta dish satisfying enough to serve a hungry crowd in mere minutes.

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One-Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta

With smoky seasoned ground beef, spicy salsa, and gooey cheese, this one-pot pasta dinner is everything you love about the classic ground beef taco without the tortilla.

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon

    olive oil

  • 1 cup

    diced onion

  • 1 pound

    lean ground beef

  • 1 tablespoon

    taco seasoning

  • 1

    clove garlic, minced

  • 1

    (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

  • 3 cups

    salsa

  • 8 ounces

    dry elbow macaroni

  • 2 1/2 cups

    low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 cup

    fresh or frozen corn kernels

  • 2 cups

    shredded Monterey jack cheese (8 ounces), divided

  • Serving options: Diced avocado, lime wedges, chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until beginning to brown and soften, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, taco seasoning, and garlic and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and no pink remains, 5 to 7 minutes.

  2. Add the beans, salsa, and macaroni and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken broth, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a rack about 6 inches from the broiler (make sure the pot will fit). Heat the broiler to high.

  3. Stir the corn and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese into the pasta. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top. Broil until the cheese melts and turns golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite taco fixings.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Make ahead: The beef and onion mixture can be browned and refrigerated up to 1 day in advance.

Taco seasoning substitutions: No taco seasoning on hand? Use 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano instead.

Filed in:
beans
Beef
Breakfast
Canned Goods
Casserole
Cheese