Let’s see what how friends over at The Recipe Critic have described this dish:
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!
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…
Ingredients
- 12 oz. celllentani pasta (may sub rigatoni, penne, etc.)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 14.75 can sweet creamed corn
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 14.5 oz cans petite diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz. can red kidney beans
- 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies
- 1 10 oz. can mild enchilada sauce
- 4 oz. ⅓ less fat cream cheese, cubed
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1½ cups Pepper Jack cheese, divided
Garnish
- tortilla strips
- tomatoes
- avocados
- sour cream
- cilantro
- hot sauce
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook pasta al dente in generously salted water. Drain and set aside.
Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds.
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.
Add pasta to the baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes then broil until cheese is golden.
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Quick Tip: Use less cheese for a lighter dish.
Thanks to The Recipe Critic for this flavor combination that’s to-die-for!
