Taco Mac & Beef with Nacho Topping

What is the best part about this recipe? Most of the ingredients are shelf-stable or freezer-friendly, meaning you can always have them on hand for those hurry up, I forgot about dinner. And if you’re worried about waste—don’t be! This dish is designed to use up leftover cheese, taco shells, salsa, or whatever odds and ends you’ve got lingering in your fridge. So if you don’t have a jalapeno pepper don’t sweat it – just add a little extra salsa. And if you don’t have Monterey Jack cheese – just swap out a variety that you have. You can also swap out the ground beef with ground turkey or shredded chicken – see this is a great “clean out the leftovers” recipe.

How To Make Taco Mac & Beef with Nacho Topping

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 1/2 cups macaroni, elbow
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers, grated divided
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2-3 – taco shells, or you can use tortilla chips
• Jalapeno peppers
• Favorite taco toppings
• Diced tomato, sliced black olives, shredded lettuce and salsa to serve

Directions

1. Cook macaroni according to the directions on the package. Drain.
2. In a large cast iron skillet saute onions in a little olive oil until softened.
3. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper. Cook until beef is brown. Drain and return to skillet.
4. Add the package of taco seasoning, and salsa; add a little water if you need to. Mix well and simmer for a few minutes or until it starts to thicken.
5. Stir in macaroni and half of the Monterey Jack with jalapeno peppers.
6. Top with the remaining half of the cheese. Bake in a 350 F oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Remove, and set the oven to broil.
7. Break taco shells into large pieces, and scatter them over the casserole. Top with cheddar cheese and jalapeno peppers. Set it under to broil just until chips are slightly brown and cheese is melted.
8. Let cool just a bit and top with sour cream and salsa. Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce, sliced black olives and diced tomatoes.