This Taco Macaroni Casserole is an easy taco bake recipe that gives your typical macaroni and cheese recipe a little Southwest flavor. 

taco macaroni casserole made with pasta and cheeseI love food with a little spice and Tex-Mex recipes are some of my comfort food recipes of choice. I make a lot of tacos like these Low Carb Tacos (so cheesy!) and these Easy Pork Tacos but I also like to play around with the flavors that make tacos so amazing and incorporate them into comfort food dishes my delicious Pressure Cooker Taco Soup or this amazing Taco Macaroni Casserole.

cheesey taco macaroni casserole

Just because I like experimenting doesn’t mean I want to make things harder than they have to be. This taco casserole recipe is super easy to make. To get started you boil some macaroni noodles and brown about a pound of ground beef with some onions and taco seasoning. I like to make my own taco seasoning using chili powder, cumin, and salt but you can also buy a packet of taco seasoning at the grocery store.  Once you meat and noodles are ready you add them along with all of the other ingredients, black beans, corn, salsa, sour cream, and cheese to a large bowl and mix everything together. Then you pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish and pop it in the oven. The casserole will bake for about 45 minutes, or until all of the cheese is melted and gooey. What you end up with is this pretty taco bake full of classic Tex-Mex flavors that your whole family is going to love.

taco macaroni casserole made with pasta

That’s it! I told you guys it is an easy recipe. Don’t be afraid to make this your own. If there is something else you or your family love in their tacos add it! Jalapenos, bell peppers, a mix of cheeses, pinto beans instead of black beans…make this recipe your own! There really isn’t any way to get it wrong.

Servings: 10
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hr

Taco Macaroni Casserole

This taco casserole is made with macaroni noodles, tex-mex flavors, and lots of cheese for an easy weeknight dinner.
taco casserole made with pasta and cheese
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Ground beef
  • 16 oz Elbow macaroni noodles, cooked
  • 1 c Onion, diced
  • 2 Tbsp Chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp Cumin
  • 2 tsp Salt + more to taste
  • 1 15 oz. can Black beans, drained
  • 1 15 oz can Corn, drained
  • 8 oz Salsa
  • 8 oz Sour cream
  • 12 oz 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 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

kat