Home Made Interest » Recipes » Main Dish » Taco Mac and Cheese Casserole
published on September 16, 2022
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Thistaco mac and cheese casseroleis an easy taco bake recipe that gives your typical macaroni and cheese recipe a little Southwest flavor.
I love food with a little spice and Tex-Mex recipes are some of my comfort food recipes of choice.They are my go-to recipes when I need something delicious, filling, and quick. This is one of my favorites, along with our chicken enchilada casserole, chicken enchilada skillet spaghetti, and chicken tortilla casserole.
I also love easy recipes and this taco casserole recipe is just about as easy as it gets. Just stir together a few ingredients and pop it in the oven. Before you know it, you have a delicious meal that stores and reheats beautifully.
For other quick and easy to reheat casserole recipes try our beef enchilada casserole or king ranch chicken casserole.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground beef – You can sub with ground turkey or ground chicken in this taco pasta casserole if you’re looking to cut back on red meat.
- Elbow macaroni noodles – Though it puts the ‘mac’ in mac and cheese, you can sub this with any hollow pasta.
- Onion – You can use white, yellow, or red for this dish.
- Seasoning – Chili powder, cumin, and salt. You can also add black pepper for extra spice.
- Canned Black beans – You will want to drain and rinse these before use.
- Canned Corn – Make sure to drain them.
- Salsa – Control your spice level by choosing your preferred heat of salsa.
- Sour cream – This will help give you a nice creamy filling in your casserole.
- Cheddar cheese – You can sub with Mexican blend if you wish.
Feel free to throw some of your own modifications into the mix. Try adding your favorite taco seasoning, garlic, fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, green onions, or green chilies to put your own personal spin on this dish.
How to Make Easy Taco Casserole
Step 1 – Preheat – Preheat oven to 350F.
Step 2 – Cook meat and onion – In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground meat and onions with a little bit of olive oil. Drain the grease from the cooked meat.
Step 3 – Stir in seasoning – Add the chili powder, cumin, and salt to the meat mixture along with 1/2 cup of water. Bring liquid to a boil then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 5- 6 minutes until it has thickened.
Step 4 – Mix ingredients – In a large bowl, add ground beef mixture, elbow noodles, black beans, corn, salsa, sour cream and 2 cups of cheese. Mix thoroughly.
Step 5 – Prepare dish and bake – Add the mixture to a greased 13x 9 casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered.
Step 6 – Add more cheese and bake again- Take the baking dish out of the oven, uncover it, and add the remaining cheese. You can add more or less cheese, depending on your taste. Put the dish back into the oven and continue to bake for 15 minutes uncovered.
Can I cook taco meat the night before?
Yes! Cook your ground beef and drain the grease. Let the beef cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can also make it ahead and store it in freezer. Cook your ground beef and drain the grease. Let the beef cool completely, then store it in an airtight freezer safe container. I like to use a gallon freezer bag so I can lay it flat in the freezer to take up less space. Let the beef thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
What to serve with taco mac and cheese
As with any good Tex-Mex dish, it needs some 5 minute restaurant style salsa or salsa fresca and tortilla chips. And don’t forget the frozen mango margarita!
How to Store It & Reheat
You can easily store leftovers or pre-make the casserole.
Refrigerator – Let your casserole cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. It will last in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. To reheat, cut an individual portion and microwave for 2-3 minutes. If you are reheating the whole casserole, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until warmed through.
Freezer – Let your casserole cool completely and store in an airtight freezer safe container. It will last the freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat, remove from freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
Once thawed, cut an individual portion and microwave for 2-3 minutes. If you are reheating the whole casserole, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until warmed through.
Looking for More Easy Casserole Recipes?
- Pulled Pork Enchilada Casserole
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Tortilla Casserole
- Keto Chicken Alfredo Casserole
- Keto Taco Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Pizza Casserole
- More Casserole Recipes…
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Servings: 10
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr
Taco Mac and Cheese Casserole
Thistaco mac and cheese casseroleis an easy taco bake recipe that gives your typical macaroni and cheese recipe a little Southwest flavor.
Print Recipe
3.60 from 66 votes
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 16 ounces Elbow macaroni noodles, cooked
- 1 cup Onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons Chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Salt + more to taste
- 15 ounces Canned Black beans, drained
- 15 ounces Canned Corn, drained
- 8 ounces Salsa
- 8 ounces Sour cream
- 12 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a skillet over medium high heat brown the ground beef and onions with a little bit of olive oil.
Drain the grease from the cooked meat.
Add the chili powder, cumin, and salt to the meat mixture along with 1/2 c water. Bring liquid to a boil then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 5- 6 minutes or until it has thickened.
In a large bowl add ground beef mixture, noodles, black beans, corn, salsa, sour cream and 2 cups of cheese. Mix thoroughly.
Add the mixture to a greased 13x 9 casserole dish and cover with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes covered, then uncover and add the remaining cheese (more or less depending on how cheesy you want it). Then continue to bake for 15 minutes uncovered.
Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 554kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 1148mg, Potassium: 599mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1073IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 324mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell
Course: Main dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto taco casserole, taco mac, taco mac and cheese, taco macaroni, taco pasta recipe
Beef Casserole Recipes Cinco de Mayo Recipes Cooking Method Main Dish Pasta
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18 comments on “Taco Mac and Cheese Casserole”
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Adriana Lopez Martin — April 14, 2016 @ 2:57 pm Reply
This is a great twist to a taco bowl need to cook your recipe soon =) #client
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betty — May 9, 2016 @ 6:26 pm Reply
made it saturday night gluten free & dairy free loved it
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Kat — May 9, 2016 @ 8:18 pm Reply
I’m so glad you liked it!
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dot — May 11, 2016 @ 10:52 am Reply
3-4 cups cheeseor 3/4 cups
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Kat — May 11, 2016 @ 9:00 pm Reply
Hi Dot, 3-4 cups. You will mix some in and sprinkle some overtop. Feel free to use less if you prefer.
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Traci — October 31, 2016 @ 8:29 am Reply
I have made this twice. Once without the ground beef, as a side dish for a potluck, and once with rotisserie chicken from Costco. Both times it was gobbled up. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
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Kat — November 1, 2016 @ 7:36 am Reply
I’m so glad you like it! It is a family favorite at my house 🙂
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Brandy — October 6, 2017 @ 6:59 am Reply
This looks fantastic. The only changes I will make is to use taco seasoning and kidney beans.
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Kat — October 6, 2017 @ 7:08 am Reply
Thanks. I hope you like it as much as I did!!
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Vicki — December 2, 2017 @ 9:19 am Reply
Looks Delisious
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PAT HOLLYWOOD — May 5, 2018 @ 3:41 pm Reply
LOOKS LIKE SATURDAY NIGHT SUPPER TO ME!
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Lisa — October 8, 2018 @ 7:47 pm Reply
Making this tonight did add some garlic and can of green chilies. I am actually going freeze half for another night . Love easy recipes thanks for sharing
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Kat — October 9, 2018 @ 6:56 am Reply
You can’t go wrong with garlic and chilies! So glad you liked it 🙂
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Teri — November 9, 2018 @ 9:14 pm Reply
Can this be frozen?
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Kat — November 9, 2018 @ 9:19 pm Reply
Yes you can freeze this. Just let it cool completely then wrap it up well before putting it in the freezer. I like to divide mine up into individual servings so I can just microwave it as needed. If you freeze the whole casserole just cover it with foil and heat it at 375 F for 30 mins or until heated through.
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Paul Neale — August 24, 2019 @ 3:19 pm Reply
I made it today with some of my own additions, like poblano peppers and pepper jack cheese along with hot salsa. Both versions are fantastic!!
Great recipe!
Paul
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Kyle — September 15, 2019 @ 5:21 pm Reply
You don’t need to cook the noodles first ?
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Kat — September 16, 2019 @ 10:39 am Reply
Hi Kyle, the recipe calls for 16 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked which means you will cook the pasta before adding to the recipe.
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