Pasta Taco Bake

It's a wonder that I have posted at all over this past week. We have been super busy with the house and yard and planning.

My son turns 18 today and he graduates tonight! Yeah! This is the easy part, sitting through the hours of the commencement, the hard part! We are really excited about this next step in his life. I can't wait to see what the future holds for him!

By tomorrow my inner OCD will be rearing it's ugly head and have me frantically making lists, then re-making list, then double checking lists in preparation for his party. We are having a pig roast so I'm planning on having everything that you would expect to have with a pig roast......pasta and potato salads, corn, beans, corn bread, coleslaw and all the other good eats that go with it. My grocery list is a mile long. Imagine if I had to worry about the meat too! The pig is hubby's department. That's one thing I don't have to worry about.

The yard is almost done. I decided to go out last Sunday night at trim my gigantic holly tree. While I was hacking away at it with my hedge trimmers, John and my neighbor thought they had a better idea. Out came the chainsaw, gone is my holly tree. Gone. What I had left was a gaping whole and crappy looking landscaping on one side of my front stairs. So off we went to buy new plants and shrubs. Another expense I did not plan on. Oh well.

So my list still keeps growing and growing and I am always convinced that I will never finish and I always do. I've got help from my friends and neighbors so I'll be fine. I just have to freak out a little so everyone knows I'm ok.

In the midst of all my madness I made up this little recipe. Knowing the boys love tacos and taco flavored everything this was a no-brainer.

Taco flavored meat with a little of this and a little of that thrown in, add in some cheese and pasta and bake until it's bubbly. Easy peasy and delicious. They loved it.





Pasta Taco Bake
recipe from Lisa@The Cutting Edge of Ordinary
1 pound of pasta (I used rotini)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 shallots finely chopped
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup water
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
14.5oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups of shredded cheddar jack cheese, divided

Oven to 350.

In a large pot cook the pasta until its al dente.

While the pasta is boiling cook the onions with a little bit of olive oil. Once they are tender, add in the ground beef and cook until done. Drain off any excess grease and return to the pan. Add in the taco seasoning package, the chili powder and 1 cup of water. Cook on medium high heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in the cream cheese and sour cream and stir until combined. Add in the beans & tomatoes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Add the pasta and 1 1/2 cups of cheese to the beef mixture and stir to combine. Grease a 9x13 or similar sized casserole dish. Top with remaining  1/2 cup cheese and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.