Cheesy Taco Pasta Bake

Cheesy Taco Pasta Bake is an easy weeknight dinner that's packed with bold taco flavor, comes together with simple pantry ingredients, and bakes to cheesy perfection. Serve it with your favorite taco toppings, a fresh salad, or tortilla chips for a meal everyone will be asking for again.

Course Pasta

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 570kcal

Equipment

large skillet
casserole dish

Ingredients

¾ pound ziti noodles
1 pound ground beef
1 cup water
⅓ cup light cream or half and half
4 ounces cream cheese 4 oz. cream cheese
1 ½ cup shredded cheese
1 packet taco seasoning or my taco seasoning https://mariasmixingbowl.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions until just al dente. Drain well and transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish.
Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain any excess grease.
Stir the taco seasoning and 1 cup of water into the cooked beef. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
Reduce the heat to low and add the cream cheese and light cream (or half-and-half). Stir until the cream cheese is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Stir 1 cup of the shredded cheese into the cooked pasta until evenly combined.
Spoon the creamy taco beef mixture over the pasta and gently stir everything together. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden around the edges.
Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition