One skillet, and the pasta never sees a colander.
Brown a pound of beef, stir in a packet of taco seasoning and a cup of salsa, then add two cups of dry elbows and two and a half cups of beef broth. Cover it, ten minutes, stirring twice.
Off the heat, a cup and a half of cheddar melts into the liquid and becomes the sauce. This is the one every eight-year-old in the house asks for again by Friday afternoon.
Ingredients
The recipe serves 4. Plan on 12 minutes to finish (plus earlier prep).
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 2.5 cups beef broth
- 1 cup salsa
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
How to Make It
- Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium-high. Brown the beef 6 minutes until no pink remains.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and salsa.
- Add the macaroni and broth, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring twice, until the pasta is tender.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese until it melts into a sauce.
Do the Slow Part Early
Brown and season the beef before practice so it is one pot at night.
- Brown the beef and stir in seasoning in the morning
- Measure the broth and macaroni into containers
- Shred the cheese ahead
Store and Reheat
Taco mac thickens as it sits, so loosen it with broth or water when reheating.
- Microwave 2 to 3 minutes with a splash of broth, stirring once
- Or reheat on the stove over low with 1/4 cup broth
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge
- Serve with: tortilla chips, sour cream, diced tomatoes
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Stir twice, not once
Elbows glue themselves to the bottom of a covered skillet if you wander off.
It sets solid overnight
Loosen a portion with a quarter cup of broth or you reheat a brick.
Salsa does the vegetables
A cup of the chunky kind gets tomato and onion in without a cutting board.
Sour cream on top
A spoonful cools it for the kid who thinks taco seasoning counts as spicy.
Season the beef at four
Browned and seasoned meat waiting in the fridge cuts the night to the pasta step.
Plan the next step
Lock in the easy crowd-pleasers
Use the planner to keep no-argument dinners like this ready for the loudest nights.