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Taco Chili Pasta Bake is my husband’s absolute favorite pasta and is sure to become a new family favorite!
This Taco Chili Pasta Bake is OH MY YUM delicious! or in other words, positively addicting! It is my husband and I’s ultimate go-to comfort food – comfort food without butter or cream I might add – just ooey, gooey melty cheese – mmmm!
To make this easy pasta, simply brown your beef and onions and then dump in all your other Tex Mex chili-esque ingredients (kidney beans, green chilies, creamed corn, tomatoes, enchilada sauce and plenty of seasonings) and simmer away for 10 minutes, then stir in your cheeses, followed by pasta – that’s it!
You can eat your pasta straight out of the skillet as is, or you can proceed with one extra step of pouring your dinner into a casserole dish and smothering with more cheese and baking to golden, bubbly cheesy deliciousness. I choose bubbly cheesy deliciousness, drool….
Finally, top your Taco Chili Pasta Bake with tortilla strips, avocados, sour cream and/or whatever your heart desires and dig in! But be warned, once you start, you won’t be able to stop! addicting…
Taco Chili Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 12 ounce celllentani pasta may sub rigatoni, penne, etc.
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can (14.75 ounce can) sweet creamed corn
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 ounce can) petite diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounce) red kidney beans
- 1 can (4 ounce) mild diced green chilies
- 1 can (10 ounce) mild enchilada sauce
- 4 ounce cream cheese (⅓ less fat) cubed
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 1 1/2 cups Pepper Jack cheese divided
Garnish
- tortilla strips
- tomatoes
- avocados
- sour cream
- cilantro
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente in generously salted water (don't overcook). Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Drain off any excess grease.
- Turn heat down to medium and stir in creamed corn, tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, green chilies, and spices. Turn heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Stir in cream cheese until melted, then stir in ¾ cup cheddar cheese and 1 cup pepper jack cheese until melted. Add pasta and stir until evenly coated.
- Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and add pasta. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes then broil until cheese is golden.
- Garnish with tortilla strips and other desired toppings.
Nutrition
Serves: 6
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Oh, my, this looks delicious. I found it on Yummly, where in the nutritional values section it reads out at 1720 calories per serving (http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Taco-Chili-Pasta-Bake-1511853?columns=5&position=1%2F40
Please tell me the entire recipe is 1720 calories or there’s some other misprint!
Have you ever frozen this once it was cooked and then reheated it? This is way more than my hubby and I could eat and I am wondering if I can put it in bread pans and freeze it.
This looks so good! Can white or brown rice be used instead of pasta?
What does “1 teaspoon chili pepper” mean? Do you mean Chili Powder? Or do I dice up an actual pepper?
Sorry, typo! Yes, 1 teaspoon chili powder.
Fantastic! This is probably the best Mac & Cheese type thing I’ve ever made. I had to make a special trip to find smoked paprika. Worth it. Somehow even better as leftovers! 5 Stars!
oh yummy! This is right up my alley!