If You Give a Kid a Cooking Pot: One Pot Taco Pasta

Over the next several weeks, we'll be bringing you recipes for beginning cooks designed to teach basic cooking skills. So be on the lookout for all the recipes in the series. Today's recipe is part of the Cooking Challenge series.

This nostalgic dish is a twist on the hamburger helper you used to love as a kid. Just as simple to make, this creamy Taco Pasta with ground beef, vegetables, and cheese is prepared in one pot in less than 30 minutes, making your weeknight dinner easier than ever. 

One Pot Taco Pasta

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

15 oz. can tomato sauce

10 oz. can Rotel, undrained

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz. can corn, drained

2 cups beef broth

1 packet taco seasoning

8 oz. elbow macaroni, uncooked

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large saute pan, brown the ground beef over medium high heat, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain off any excess grease.
2. Dice the onion, add it to the pan and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add the tomato sauce, Rotel, black beans, corn, beef broth, and taco seasoning. Stir to combine.
4. Add the uncooked elbow macaroni, ensuring it’s submerged in the liquid. Add more beef broth or water if needed.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through and the liquid has been absorbed into the pasta. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and test noodles.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

You Can Get with This or You Can Get with That (Recipe Substitutions):

• Substitute ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef.
• Substitute chicken broth or veggie broth for the beef broth.
• Substitute your favorite beans for the black beans.
• Reduce sodium by choosing a low-sodium taco seasoning.
• Substitute shell, rotini, or penne pasta for elbow macaroni, just make sure to adjust the amount of broth in the recipe, if needed.
• Substitute your favorite cheese for the cheddar cheese.
• Serve with hot sauce, sour cream, or guacamole, if desired.

This Is How We Do It (Kitchen Skills You'll Learn in This Recipe):

• Boiling vs. simmering
• Browning ground meat
• Chopping vegetables
• Measuring ingredients
• Reading and following a recipe
• Setting a timer

Mama Said Knock You Out (Prep Ahead for Easy Dinners):

If you have leftover taco pasta you want to freeze, put the taco pasta into individual airtight containers. It will keep well for up to two months.

When you are ready to serve, take the container out of the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the microwave.

If You Give a Kid a Cooking Challenge

This recipe is part of the three-part If You Give a Kid a Cooking Challenge recipe series. These recipes are designed to: 

• be easier to make
• have a minimal number of ingredients (minus pantry staples like oil and spices)
• be quick to prep 
• make enough for one person to have leftovers for a few days