Is anyone else sick of washing dishes? I swear, I feel like it’s all I do. I love to cook. I love to eat. I love to eat what I cook. But I hate washing dishes. So, here’s an easy one pot taco macaroni recipe to make with that frozen hamburger meat in the back of your freezer and a box of macaroni that’s hiding in the back of the pantry.
Taco macaroni is the flavorful meld of taco Tuesday coming together with pasta Wednesday. It’s love at first bite. It’s easy, delicious, comfort food.
Use just 12 ounces of the pasta, not the full 16 that usually come in the box. I’ve used the full box before and it seems to be out of balance. We want this taco and pasta marriage to be on equal footing. The best of both.
Gather up your ingredients:
Brown the beef until mostly cooked through, then add onion and cook until translucent.
Drain fat if necessary. Add garlic and saute for about a minute. Then add all the spices, tomatoes, and broth and bring to a simmer.
Add the pasta.
Stir pasta, return to simmer, cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes. To keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom, stir once or twice during the 10 minutes.
Once the pasta is cooked, add the cheddar cheese and give it a good stir.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Other easy weeknight dinners you might enjoy: Italian sausage skillet with ricotta and pasta; beef and broccoli stir fry; and Italian sausage with kale.
PrintEasy One Pot Taco Macaroni
Easy one pot meal that blends the flavors of taco meat and pasta.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
12 ounces elbow macaroni
1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat on medium.
Add ground beef, chopping it up while browning.
When meat is mostly cooked, add onion and cook until translucent.
Drain beef and onion mixture, then return to pan.
Add garlic, cooking for one minute.
Add the seasonings, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth.
Stir and bring to a simmer.
Add pasta, stir to combine, and cover.
Cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring here and there to keep pasta from sticking.
When pasta is ready, stir in cheese.
Serve warm.
Notes
I have made double batches of this and frozen one and it defrosts and heats up nicely.
Keywords: one pot, ground beef, easy, taco, pasta, macaroni