One Pan Cheesy Taco Mac
One Pan Cheesy Taco Mac is an easy and delicious ground beef dinner recipe that my kids love. This is a simple one pan meal that doesn’t take a lot of prep work and can be on the table in under 30 minutes!
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This one pan dinner is made with simple ingredients you probably already keep stocked in your refrigerator and pantry. This is an easy hamburger helper style recipe that’s easy to make, comforting, and quick.
Taco Mac is made with ground beef, taco seasoning, onions, garlic, tomato sauce, Rotel, elbow macaroni, chicken broth, and shredded Colby Jack cheese.
If you like easy one pan pasta recipes, check out my Cheesy Chicken Taco Mac. This one has super similar flavors, but is made with a pound of chicken breasts.
Another hamburger helper style dinner my kids always love is my One Pan Cheeseburger Mac. This has all of the delicious flavors of a cheeseburger in a one pot dinner.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Onion, chopped
- Salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and dried cilantro
- Chicken broth OR beef broth
- Elbow macaroni
- Rotel (not drained)
- Tomato sauce
- Minced garlic
- Shredded Colby Jack cheese
- Milk
- Fresh or dried cilantro
Make One Pan Cheesy Taco Mac
To start making this super easy one pot dinner, heat a large skillet over medium-heat.
Add 1 lb of ground beef and a chopped onion to your skillet.
Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and dried cilantro.
Once the ground beef is cooked through, add the minced garlic, elbow macaroni, chicken broth, Rotel, and a can of tomato sauce.
Stir everything together well and bring to a quick boil.
Once you see bubbles, turn the heat down to medium low.
Cover with a lid and cook for about 12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Stir at least once about half way through to keep the pasta from sticking to the skillet.
Finally, add the shredded cheese and milk, stir, and let sit until the cheese is melted.
Serve One Pan Taco Mac
Once the cheese is melted, it’s time to eat! Top with fresh cilantro and serve. I like serving dinners like this one with an easy salad kit or vegetable for a side.
Tonight we had a Southwest Salad kit and it paired perfectly with the Taco Mac!
You will love this easy skillet dinner because it’s so easy to make, clean up is a breeze, and it can be on the table in 30 minutes!
This is an easy weeknight dinner that always has my kids coming back for seconds!
The leftovers reheat well for lunch the next day.
Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
- I like shredding the cheese from a block of Colby Jack cheese for a better melting consistency.
- I like using the blend of seasonings for taco flavored dishes, but you could use any of your favorite taco seasonings/packets instead of the homemade blend.
- Topping this dish with some fresh cilantro gives the dish some freshness, but you could even top it with chopped green onions or any of your favorite taco toppings.
- I used 1 lb of ground beef, but you could use 1 lb of chicken breast cut into cubes instead. Check out my Cheesy Chicken Taco Mac recipe for full instructions.
- I did not drain the can of Rotel.
- Chicken broth OR beef broth can be used in this recipe. I typically keep chicken broth stocked, so that is what I used.
Similar Recipes
- Cheesy Chicken Taco Mac
- One Pan Cheeseburger Mac
- One Pan Chili Mac
- Beef Stroganoff
- Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Mac
- One Pan American Goulash
- Cheesy Hamburger Helper
If you make this one pan Taco Mac, I hope you love it! If you like the recipe please leave me a comment or save this recipe to your Pinterest account.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp each of cumin, garlic powder, and dried cilantro
- 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups of elbow macaroni
- 10 oz can of Rotel not drained
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 1/3 cup of milk
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-heat. Add the ground beef and a chopped onion.
- Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and dried cilantro.
- Once the ground beef is cooked through, add the minced garlic, elbow macaroni, chicken broth, Rotel, and a can of tomato sauce.
- Stir everything together well and bring to a quick boil.
- Once you see bubbles, turn the heat down to medium low. Cover with a lid and cook for about 12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Stir at least once about half way through to keep the pasta from sticking to the skillet.
- Finally, add the shredded cheese and milk, stir, and let sit until the cheese is melted. Serve and top with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
- I like shredding the cheese from a block of Colby Jack cheese for a better melting consistency.
- I like using the blend of seasonings for taco flavored dishes, but you could use any of your favorite taco seasonings/packets instead of the homemade blend.
- Topping this dish with some fresh cilantro gives the dish some freshness, but you could even top it with chopped green onions or any of your favorite taco toppings.
- I used 1 lb of ground beef, but you could use 1 lb of chicken breast cut into cubes instead. Check out my Cheesy Chicken Taco Mac recipe for full instructions.
- I did not drain the can of Rotel.
- Chicken broth OR beef broth can be used in this recipe. I typically keep chicken broth stocked, so that is what I used.