Taco Dinner Mac and Cheese

4 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Prep Time
15 Mins
Cook Time
25 Mins
Yield
Makes 4 servings
September 2005
RECIPE BY Southern Living

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 (1.25-ounce) envelope reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 (8-ounce) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Toppings: chopped tomato, avocado, and green onions, sour cream, salsa

How to Make It

Step 1

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Step 2

Brown ground beef in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain.

Step 3

Return beef to skillet; stir in taco seasoning mix and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove beef mixture from heat.

Step 4

Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.

Step 5

Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in cooked pasta and beef mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Serve immediately with desired toppings.

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Ratings & Reviews

really good!

Brittanycm74
August 15, 2015
I made tonight and the sauce thickened at exactly five minutes. The key is to stir constantly with whisk on med-high heat. We put cheese, diced avocado and sour cream on top. Even though I bought the block of cheese and shredded it myself, it still wasn't cheesy tasting. ... but still good! It made a lot too!

Loved this

kcurrie
July 26, 2015
Super easy to make. i tweaked it a bit. I used 8 oz of evaporated milk and 1 cup of water it came out creamy. We loved it! Thanks will be adding this to our family night meals.

kcurrie's Review

Deathstriker
December 10, 2013
Great quick meal that fits the budget. I will definitely make this again. The children loved it and went back for seconds. I doubled the recipe because I'm feeding a party of 6 :) While doubling the recipe I only used one packet of taco seasoning because I don't cook with lots of sodium/salt. I agree with the previous review, it took a little longer for my sauce to thicken than the specified time given. But I also didn't use a dutch oven, so that may have been a factor. Overall-delish! Adding to the weeknight meals!

Ann1943's Review

Ann1943
November 13, 2012
I made this exactly as the recipe says. It was very good, not hard to make, but it took longer than the recipe stated for the sauce to thicken. For my taste, it was a little bland, so next time I will add some diced onion and a little salt. Also it wasn't as cheesy as I expected, but my husband and two sons liked it very much. Thanks for the recipe, I will be making this again. Ann

SoonerGuardGirl's Review

SoonerGuardGirl
December 15, 2010
For something different try adding salsa (I like the black bean and white corn salsa from Walmart) to the beef mixture. Also, to save time use out of the box mac and cheese.