Recipe: Taco Mac and Cheese

Were you one of the many people who asked me for my Taco Mac and Cheese recipe the last couple times I posted the meal in my What’s For Dinner menu? Well you’re in luck. I’m guest posting over at The Gaines Gang (you remember Kate who shared her awesome Potato Casserole Recipe). So hop on over there to learn how to make my taco mac and cheese, it’s oh so easy and yummy.

If you’re visiting from The Gaines Gangwelcome. I hope you stay and peek around. If this is your first time here let me point you to a few of my favorite posts.

• Upcycled Book Page Wreath my tutorial on how to make a freakishly cute wreath from a dollar store foam wreath, thesaurus and some hot glue
• Cinnaburst Bread trust me it’s heavenly, delicious sweet dough with yummy cinnamon bursts throughout (it’s my copy of Great Harvest’s bread of the same name)
• Running of the Bulls well my style of it anyways, so maybe I convinced my nieces to be bulls and my husband to be a matador for Halloween last year and maybe I had them recreate the running of the bulls in full costume and giggles

UPDATED WITH THE RECIPE BELOW:

What You’ll Need

• 2TBS flour
• 1/4 to 1/2 pound ground beef (depending on how meaty you want it, I’ve done it both ways)
• 1 C shredded taco cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand)
• 2-4 TBS taco seasoning (depending on your taste, how strong your seasoning is and how much meat you use
• 1 C milk
• 1/2 C corn
• 4 oz. short pasta (my favorite are the small elbows but we’ve used other pasta too), cooked pasta
• 1 avocado
• salt and pepper

What To Do

• In a skillet (or wok like me) brown the ground beef when it’s almost done add some of the taco seasoning, I have a big costco bottle and do a couple of big shakes probably 2 TBS
• When meat is cooked remove meat leaving the drippings. You want about 2 TBS grease so if you don’t have that much add some butter
• when butter is melted add the flour, stirring to make a roux. Cook it for a couple minutes on medium
• Slowly add milk stirring so it becomes a cream sauce
• If you haven’t started cooking the pasta do it now. If you need to cook your corn throw it in the water when the pasta is about 50% done
• Add back in meat and cheese. Taste it, if it needs more flavor add more taco seasoning and/or salt.
• Take 1/4 cup pasta water and stir in.
• Drain pasta and corn and reserve some pasta water. Add pasta to the sauce, if it’s to thick add some of the pasta water, if it’s too thin just stir and cook a little longer until it thickens.
• Right before serving top with avocado.

This makes 2 hearty adult servings. This can be easily multiplied for more people.