Home » 30 Minute Meals » Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta Bake
ByHeather
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When it comes to an easy taco casserole, this Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta Bake is the perfect weeknight meal. Made with taco seasonings, ground beef, big pasta noodles and homemade cheese sauce, this easy taco bake casserole is ready in just 30 minutes!
When it came to perfecting this Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta recipe, it took time and lots of tweaking.
.. like 8 different recipe variations of this recipe!
I found a 3 ingredient variation of this taco casserole on Pinterest, my hubby loved it but I did not. Tried making it a different way, hubby loved it, I hated it.
Repeat, repeat, repeat…
Until NOW!
By the way, serve this easy taco bake recipe alongside HoneyCornbread Muffins for the perfect dinner!
Easy Taco Bake
So now that this recipe has been worked and reworked, this easy taco casserole has now added into our weekly rotation of easy weeknight dinner ideas.
Simply put, this is basically the perfect fusion of a Mexican inspired pasta recipe and mac and cheese.
Taco seasoning, ground beef, homemade cheese sauce and big thick pasta all baked together to make the perfect beef taco casserole.
Tell me how that could possible ever be bad??
This is simple and down-home cooking at it’s finest. It’s not fancy, it’s not complicated, it’s unapologetic. The best part? It tastes AMAZING!
That means there are no specialty items, no extra trips to the store in search of unfamiliar ingredients. This is not authentic Mexican food by any stretch of the imagination.
It’s just really tasty food.
Why This Taco Macaroni is the BOMB!
- Did you read the part where I said this easy taco casserole was the combination of taco flavors and homemade macaroni and cheese? Read that again!
- This recipe is pure cheesy comfort food!! You may feel guilty about eating it but I guarantee your inner voice will be quiet when you go back for a second helping.
- This is a fast and easy Mexican pasta dish. The perfect 30 minute meal from start to finish and you are ready to eat!
- This baked taco pasta casserole is made using store bought convenience items that you probably already have in your pantry. No expensive, fancy spices need.. just a pack of your favorite taco seasoning.
- Easy comfort food dish to make ahead of time so it’s perfect for potlucks, parties and get togethers.
To make this Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta Bake, you will need:
- Taco seasoning
- Enchilada sauce
- All purpose flour
- Butter
- Milk
- Chicken stock
- Cheddar cheese and/or Monterey Jack cheese
- Spices
- Ground beef (*Ground turkey or ground chicken also perfectly fine)
- Large pasta noodles like ziti or rigatoni
How To Make Mexican Pasta
To make this taco pasta casserole, start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees and spraying a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray.
Next, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook your pasta, minus 2 minutes from the cooking time on your pasta box. Drain your pasta and set aside.
While your pasta is cooking, begin browning the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain grease and move meat to a plate or bowl and set aside.
Add butter to the same skillet and when melted, whisk in the all purpose flour. Let cook while whisking for 1-2 minutes.
Pour in milk and chicken stock and whisk to combine with the flour mixture. Bring to a low boil.
Stir in spices, taco seasoning and enchilada sauce. Add in most of your cheese, remove from heat and stir until cheese has melted.
Add the meat and pasta to the skillet with your cheese sauce and stir to combine.
Transfer to the prepared 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes, remove and let sit for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately.
Pro Tips for Perfect Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted for the ground beef.
- Serve with sour cream and diced tomatoes on top if desired.
- You can use any short pasta that you have on hand for this recipe but I prefer rigatoni or ziti. #bignoodles
- Depending on your taste for spices, feel free to use regular taco seasoning or grab the spicy taco packet if you are brave.
- Homemade enchilada sauce is easy to make and tastes amazing but feel free to use a can of sauce from the grocery store if you prefer.
- Pre-packaged cheese are convenient but will bake up greasy. Use a block of cheese instead. Shred by hand, throw into a food processor (which is why my cheese looks like little balls in the process picture above) or just cut into chunks and melt in your sauce. Always a tastier option than bagged cheese.
- As much as I love Monterey Jack cheese, sometimes it too can bake up greasy. Substitute the MJ cheese with sharp cheddar and add in some diced jalapenos or a 1/2 teaspoon of dried jalapeno powder for the flavor.
Make ahead Beef Taco Pasta
To make this dish ahead of time, simply follow the instructions all the way up to baking.
Instead, allow your casserole to come to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and move to the refrigerator. It can stay as is for 1-2 days.
When needed, bake as instructed but add 10 minutes to your cook time or until your casserole is warmed through.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Tequila Lime Chicken with Tomato Corn Salad
- Crispy Baked Lemon Chicken and Veggies
- Broccoli Ham and Cheese Casserole
- One Pan Keto Cheesy Jalapeno Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken Meatball Bowl
Enjoy ♥ Heather
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
I would love for you toleave a rating and a comment below!Let me know, how’d you do?!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta Bake
When it comes to an easy taco casserole, this Cheesy Beef Taco Pasta Bake is the perfect weeknight meal. Made with taco seasonings, ground beef, big pasta noodles and homemade cheese sauce, this easy taco bake casserole is ready in just 30 minutes!
Heather
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 30 minutes minutes
Serving Size 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1.25 ounce taco seasoning packet
- 10 ounce enchilada sauce
- 16 ounces combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar cheese, grated or chunked ... divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder .. optional
- 2 green onions, chopped
Instructions
To make this taco pasta casserole, start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees and spraying a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray.
Next, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook your pasta, minus 2 minutes from the cooking time on your pasta box. Drain your pasta and set aside.
While your pasta is cooking, begin browning the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain grease and move meat to a plate or bowl and set aside.
Add butter to the same skillet and when melted, whisk in the all purpose flour. Let cook while whisking for 1-2 minutes.Pour in milk and chicken stock and whisk to combine with the flour mixture. Bring to a low boil.
Stir in spices, taco seasoning and enchilada sauce. Add in most of your cheese, remove from heat and stir until cheese has melted. Add the meat and pasta to the skillet with your cheese sauce and stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes, remove and let sit for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately.
Notes
Pro Tips for Perfect Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted for the ground beef.
- Serve with sour cream and diced tomatoes on top if desired.
- You can use any short pasta that you have on hand for this recipe but I prefer rigatoni or ziti. #bignoodles
- Depending on your taste for spices, feel free to use regular taco seasoning or grab the spicy taco packet if you are brave.
- Homemade enchilada sauce is easy to make and tastes amazing but feel free to use a can of sauce from the grocery store if you prefer.
- Pre-packaged cheese are convenient but will bake up greasy. Use a block of cheese instead. Shred by hand, throw into a food processor (which is why my cheese looks like little balls in the process picture above) or just cut into chunks and melt in your sauce. Always a tastier option than bagged cheese.
- As much as I love Monterey Jack cheese, sometimes it too can bake up greasy. Substitute the MJ cheese with sharp cheddar and add in some diced jalapenos or a 1/2 teaspoon of dried jalapeno powder for the flavor.
Update Notes:This post was originally published in March of 2020 but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions and tips in August of 2023.
