Taco Macaroni
This easy Taco Mac recipe is a quick, one-pan, 30-minute meal packed with taco meat, noodles and cheese! Perfect for busy weeknights and family dinners.
Every family has their go-to busy weeknight dinner, and I’m excited to share ours with you! With over 600 ratings full of quotes like “A total win with everyone at our dining room table!” and “Perfect family dish that my tots loved,” it’s clear that we’re not the only ones gushing over this easy one-pan pasta. I’ve tested and tweaked this to work with easy-to-find pantry staples, but I’ve also included tons of tips for how to add veggies, change the protein, or adjust the recipe according to your needs. If you’ve got leftover taco meat to use, you even get to skip a step! It’s going to be a gamechanger for those lazy nights when you want to skip the fuss.
Taco Mac Recipe Ingredients
The best part about this recipe is that it is made in one pan! The second best thing is that the ingredients are so basic. This recipe has mostly pantry staples you probably keep handy.
- Ground beef or ground turkey
- Elbow noodles (I use Barilla gluten-free)
- Beef or chicken broth
- Canned tomatoes with green chilies
- Milk
- Tomato sauce
- Taco seasoning
- Cheddar cheese
How to Make Taco Mac
Just five simple steps give you an easy one pan pasta dish that has all the flavor of tacos! Top with any of your favorite fixings like avocado, sour cream or hot sauce!
Here are the basic steps to making taco mac and cheese:
- In a large skillet, brown the ground meat over medium heat.
- Add the undrained can of tomatoes with green chilies, broth, milk, tomato sauce and taco seasoning.
- Increase heat to medium high until the mixture begins to simmer.
- Stir in the noodles and reduce the heat to low. Cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.
- When the noodles are tender, stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.
Taco Mac FAQs
I’m sure you can! I’d recommend omitting the meat and adding a drained can of beans in its place (perhaps two cans, depending on how chunky you want your taco mac ‘n’ cheese). You’d also need to use veggie broth instead of beef broth.
Yes, you can replace it with another liquid if desired. Keep in mind that the milk helps make the taco mac ultra creamy, so your pasta won’t turn out as thick without it.
Taco Mac is a cheesy pasta dish generally made in one pan with common pantry staples. We take the comfort of your classic mac and cheese and mix it with the explosive flavor of your favorite taco dishes! These two family dinner favorites combine to make Taco Mac a huge hit with picky eaters, kids, and busy families.
How to Make Taco Mac with Leftover Taco Meat
If you already have a pound of taco meat prepared, you can skip the first step of this recipe. Go straight to Step #2 where you mix that seasoned taco meat with the milk, broth, Ro-Tel, and tomato sauce. No need to add more seasoning; the flavor in the meat will reach the noodles and sauce while it simmers.
Tips for Making Taco Mac and Cheese
- If you don’t have elbow pasta on hand, you can use another short, sturdy pasta instead.
- I prefer making this recipe with cheddar cheese, but another sharp cheese will work. Think: Monterrey Jack, Pepper Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend.
- This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
Storing Taco Mac and Cheese
- Fridge: Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe dish up to 3 months. The noodles will be softer, so consider cooking 1-2 minutes less if you are prepping this for the freezer.
- Reheating: If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Sprinkle your individual portion with a bit of water to keep it creamy, then microwave at 50% power in 1-minute increments. Stir between blasts until warmed throughout.
Get the Recipe: Taco Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey or beef
- 1 10 ounce can Ro-Tel, undrained
- 1 cup broth, chicken or beef broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 1 ounce package taco seasoning
- 1 1/2 cup elbow noodles, I use Barilla gluten free elbows
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey or ground beef over medium heat. Drain off any grease.
- Add the undrained can of Ro-Tel, broth, milk, tomato sauce and taco seasoning.
- Increase heat to medium high until the mixture begins to simmer.
- Stir in noodles and reduce heat to low, cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.
- When noodles are tender, stir in shredded cheddar cheese.
Notes
- Cook time: I used Barilla gluten free elbows and my cooking time is exactly 18 minutes.
- Ro-Tel: If you’re not famliar with Ro-Tel, it’s canned chopped tomatoes with green chilies.
- This recipe yields 6 servings, approximately 1 1/2 cups per serving.
- Using leftover taco meat? Skip Step #1 and mix cooked taco meat with milk, tomato sauce, broth, and Ro-Tel (leaving out the taco seasoning).
Have you tried the banza chickpea pasta? I’m wondering if the time or liquid amount would need to be adjusted. Thanks!
Hi Kelley, yes I have used the Banza cavatappi noodles in this recipe. They do require more liquid, from memory I believe I added about 1/2 cup extra. The bigger thing with the banza noodles was actually needing a little bigger skillet because the banza noodles create a foam as they cook, so if you aren’t careful it can spill over the side of your pan. But if you are mindful of those two things the banza tasted great in this recipe.
Delicious, hit the spot for my taco and mac and cheese cravings in one bowl.
Great!
family favorite!! it was a hit – my kids asked for seconds and thirds. I will definitely be making this again!
We love this recipe !
This is a “go to” recipe for us! It’s awesome when feeding a larger bunch!! And it’s a crowd pleaser every single time!!