Life with three kids is going pretty well. Have I touched my sewing machine since Caspian was born? Well, no, not even once. I'll get back to the machine eventually - it's always there waiting for me, ready to welcome me back with open arms. But this little guy.......he's already growing up right before my eyes, so I am trying to soak up all the little baby time possible.
One of my biggest challenges has been preparing dinner because I'm never quite sure when my little guy is going to nurse. He tends to want to eat right when I should be cooking dinner - go figure, right? However, he seems to be doing a pretty good mid-afternoon nap, so I'm trying out some new recipes that I can prepare during the day and then just pop in the oven before dinner.
Today I'm sharing my latest recipe that I tried out last night. I'm calling it "Mexican Taco Pasta Bake". It's really all the flavors in a taco, but mixed is mixed in with pasta and cheese. What could be bad about that, right?
The next time you want to prepare a meal ahead of time, give this one a try. My husband even went back for thirds! Would also be great to feed a crowd and your kids will love it too!!
Mexican Taco Pasta Bake
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 lb. pasta (any shape)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can Rotel (tomatoes with green chile)
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 brick light cream cheese
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Topping:
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Garnish:
Sliced green onions, slice black olives, and sour cream.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large saute pan. Remove beef from pan and drain on a paper towel. Add onion and green pepper to pan and saute until cooked through. Add back in cooked ground beef, taco seasoning and Rotel. Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes. Add in cream cheese and melt it down into the beef mixture. Once cream cheese is melted, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
Drain pasta. Pour beef and cheese mixture over cooked pasta and stir to combine. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour combined pasta and beef mixture into the casserole dish.
Sprinkle the top of the pasta with crushed tortilla chips combined with shredded cheese. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Might need a little longer if it has been refrigerated. Basically you are just melting the cheese and heating it through since all the ingredients are already cooked.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced green onions and black olives.
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