Easy Taco Mac and Beef

Easy Taco Mac and Beef

A quick go-to meal for when you are short on time and big on hunger! Sometimes I open the fridge door and just stare inside, hoping dinner will magically appear. Well, that’s not going to happen, so the best I can hope for is that I’ve got the ingredients for an easy-to-make, speedy meal that contains all the important comfort food groups of pasta, melted cheese and Mexican taco seasonings. Luckily, this Easy Taco Mac and Beef fits the bill and is about as easy as it gets.

It’s one of those incredible meals that requires only some minced (ground) beef and then just a delightful get-together of fridge and pantry staples. You chop an onion and some garlic, then it’s really all about gathering those staples and finally a bit of stirring. Not only do I know I’m gonna love this, but I can be sure that there won’t be any protests from the rest of the household … in fact, it’s a guaranteed win. (And we all know that’s half the battle.) I know my kids love mac and cheese and they love taco flavours, so if the math is mathing, surely that means they’ll love this twice as much?

Ingredients

1 500g box macaroni
250-300g ground beef (or whatever ground meat you prefer)
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1 can, diced tomatoes, and a half of a jar of salsa (you can use a whole jar if you like)
1 packet Taco seasoning of choice
Optional: 1 can, kidney or black beans (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

In a medium to large pot, cook the macaroni according to package directions until it’s al dente. While the macaroni is cooking, you can make the rest of the meal. I usually cut the veggies first to save time! In a large frying pan, add a little olive oil or butter and heat to a sizzle. Add the garlic and brown it slightly, releasing the fragrance. Next, add the peppers and onions, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add in the ground meat next, and brown thoroughly. Then, you can add in the canned tomatoes, taco seasoning, and the half jar of salsa, (and the beans if you are using them, liquid and all.) Add a little bit of water, about 100 ml, Mix well!! Bring back to a good boil, and reduce heat to let it simmer on low for about 15 minutes.

Now make sure the macaroni is done, drain, well and set aside. Once the taco meat mixture has thickened up, and most of the liquid has gone, add the macaroni directly to the frying pan (I said get a large one!) If the frying pan is too small to do this, put it back in the large pot you used before, and transfer the taco meat to the pot with the macaroni instead! Use a spatula to get all the yummy goodness out of the pan into the pasta. Stir it up super well to coat the macaroni with all the taco deliciousness. I usually serve mine with grated cheese, and sour cream! Enjoy!

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