Looking for a delicious pasta recipe the whole family will love? Try my Easy Weeknight Cheesy Taco Pasta recipe that features creamy taco pasta with beef, cheese, and taco seasoning, and only takes 20 minutes to make!
Easy Weeknight Cheesy Taco Pasta
As a busy mom, I love making meals during the week that are delicious, flavorful, and most of all easy to make. This Easy Weeknight Cheesy Taco Pasta is one of our family’s favorite and most requested pasta dishes, and is sure to fulfill your taco cravings!
This cheesy taco pasta recipe combines the wholesomeness of pasta with the delicious flavors of cheesy, beef tacos and will be enjoyed by even the pickiest eaters out there. This taco pasta is made with light cream cheese and makes for a healthy balanced meal when paired with a salad and corn.
Even better, you can have this creamy, cheesy taco pasta on your table in 20 minutes or less, making it the perfect meal for busy weeknights.
More Easy Dinner Recipes to Try:
- Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Roll-Ups
- Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
- Healthy Instant Pot Hamburger Soup
Easy Cheesy Taco Pasta Recipe
This delicious, cheesy taco pasta couldn’t be any easier to make! All you need is 1 pound of ground beef or ground turkey, 8 ounces of pasta noodles (I prefer shells since it soaks up the sauce), 1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning, 1/2 a block of reduced fat cream cheese, and 1 cup shredded cheese.
After you’ve browned and drained your meat, cooked your pasta shells, and made your sauce, simply combine, top with cheese, and bake in a casserole dish, until the cheese melts. I absolutely love these gorgeous ceramic baking dishes for casseroles and pasta dishes, and they’re dishwasher safe. (Plus they look really pretty for serving!)
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Easy Weeknight Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course, Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Skillet, Pot
- Cuisine: American, Mexican
Description
Looking for a quick pasta recipe the whole family will love? Try my Easy Weeknight Cheesy Taco Pasta recipe that features creamy taco pasta with beef, cheese, and taco seasoning.
Ingredients
- 1/2 16 oz Box of Small Shell Pasta Noodles
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef or Turkey (80/20 or above preferred)
- 1 envelope low sodium taco seasoning
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 block reduced fat cream cheese ((4 oz.))
- 1 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, Mexican Blend, or Monterey Jack)
Instructions
- Begin boiling pasta according to package instructions.
- Brown ground beef in pan until fully cooked; Drain; Place beef back into pan and add taco seasoning and water. Stir well and let simmer on Medium heat until liquid has reduced. (About 5 Minutes)
- Cut ½ block of cream cheese into small squares and add into ground beef mixture. Begin stirring in cream cheese and increase heat to medium/high until all cheese has been incorporated and sauce is creamy.
- Remove ground beef from heat; Drain pasta; Place hot pasta into casserole dish and stir in ½ cup of cheese. Add in taco mixture and mix well.
- Top taco pasta with remaining ½ cup of cheese and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is perfectly melted.
- Pair it with a delicious salad and enjoy this easy and delicious weeknight meal!
Notes
Optional: Top your taco pasta with fresh herbs or salsa for added flavor
Keywords: Taco Pasta, Cheesy Taco Pasta, Ground Beef Pasta, Weeknight Dinner, Easy Dinner Recipe, Pasta
Delicious Taco Pasta Substitutes or add-Ins:
Don’t have any ground beef on hand? Try these yummy substitutes or add-ins to spice up the flavor in this taco pasta even more!
- Grilled Chicken
- Ground Turkey
- Black Beans
- Fresh Salsa
- Sautéed Peppers
- Sautéed Onions
Check out some of my other amazing dinner recipes over here
Hope you enjoyed today’s Easy Weeknight Cheesy Taco Pasta Recipe and I hope you’ll give it a try this week! Would your family love this taco pasta recipe? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for stopping by!- Cara
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You use 4oz of cream cheese?
Yes, that’s correct.
This is a great recipe. I love that you can make it in 20 minutes and that it is kid-friendly and budget-friendly. Thank you for allowing me to use this in my round up.
Thanks Kim! Can’t wait to see your finished post!
This was delicious!! We added salsa on top and served with corn.
★★★★★
So glad you loved it!
Only 4oz. of pasta? Is that correct?
Whoops I just now realized it’s supposed to be 1/2 of a 16 ounce box of pasta (8 ounces). Sorry about that!
That’s what I thought haha! I was like FOUR OZ.!? Lol
Well thank you so much! Can’t wait to make it!
Looks delicious. I’m going to give this a try tonight.
Looks very tasty Cara – thank you for sharing with Pin Worthy Wednesday!
Thanks, you should try it sometime! š
This looks like something my hubby would like! Would love to have you share it on the What’s for Dinner linky.
http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-39/
Thank-you! I just added it to the link-up š
Thanks for sharing!
Thank-you!
Oh wow! This looks delicious and sounds like the perfect meal for my husband and I. We both love Mexican, but he really loves Italian too. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much for linking up with us in the #BestoftheBlogosphere Link-Up! Hope to see you again tomorrow š
Thanks Ashley! Hope you all enjoy making it š
Yummm! This looks so good and so easy, too! Will definitely be giving this one a try!
Thanks Katie! It’s delicious, hope you’ll give it a go! š
Oh! This looks like the perfect quick weeknight dinner! Pinned for later- can’t wait to try it! š thank you!
Thanks Melissa! š
I don’t know how I missed this the other day, but this looks so delicious! Definitely trying it!
Thank-you! Hope you like it if you try it š
Saw this on the Wonderful Wednesdays linky, it looks absolutely gorgeous! It’s my first time joining the linky so it’s awesome to see such amazing recipes up there!
Thanks Cliona! Glad to have you here and hope you’ll give this recipe a try š
looks yummy!! and nice mix up from regular pasta!
Thank-you! I agree it’s a nice change of flavors š
Yum! Looks like something my whole family would love. Pinning!
Thanks! Enjoy š
I just sent this to my husband. It looks sooooo good. We have everything for this except for the cream cheese!
Evelina @ Fortunate House
Hope you all enjoy making it! It’s delicious š
This looks amazingly delicious and I am such a sucker for quick, easy meals! Definitely going to try this out! Hope you’re having a great week so far! XO -Kim
Thanks Kim! Hope you enjoy it and that you’re having a good week! š
This looks so yummy and so simple. I love a quick and easy meal š
Thank-you! I do too š
What a great simple weeknight dinner idea!
Thanks Heather! Makes for a quick and delicious meal! š
Yum. Yum. Yum. I love this! Any Mexican food is totally up my alley. Thank you for sharing! I’m happy to have found your blog!
So happy to have you here, Molly! š This recipe is delicious!
i love taco dishes! this one looks very tasty
Thanks Michelle! š
I love Mexican, so smart to use the pasta shells to make the recipe š
xx, Kusum | http://www.sveeteskapes.com
I do too, Kusum! Thank-you!
Looks totally yummy! My family would LOVE this recipe! <3
We usually don’t have a lot of leftovers-haha. Thank-you!
Yum looks great, love the little recipe card you made!
Marta
http://www.sweatersstripesandsweets.com
Thank-you! š
This looks delicious! And simple, too!
Thank-you! It is š
Looks easy and yummy! I’ve never had anything mixing taco and noodle, but I like both so I bet I’d like this!
It’s a delicious combination, Christine! Hope you’ll give it a try š
This looks absolutely uh-maze-eeng!!!! I think I will do this
Thank-you! Enjoy it š
That looks so delicious! My entire family would go crazy for it and I love that it is easy to make on a busy week night.
Thank-you! I love finding and sharing quick and easy recipes because I know we all have busy lives and don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen (or at least I don’t-haha)
I love simple and delicious looking meals like this – I pinned it for later… I can never ever say no to pasta! š š
Thank-you! I think you’ll enjoy it, Clare! š
Oooooh! This sounds delicious! I’m pinning this to make later in the week! Thanks!
Hope you all enjoy it Samantha! It really is a great weeknight meal! š
I love anything that is a take on Mexican Food!! This is a keeper! Yum!
Thank-you! Me too š
Great for a weeknight! I love taco pasta. I also love mexican stuffed shells, similar to this but with salsa. I should make one or the other soon.
Thanks! Mexican stuffed shells are one of my favorites too, but it’s a bit more time consuming so I try to make it on the weekends, but definitely just as delicious!
Omg how yummy is this pasta?!?! I love all
Things taco so I will be giving this a try! Yum!
Thanks, it is delicious! Hope you enjoy it š
This sounds delicious!
xx
Lauren Elizabeth
Petite in Pearls
Thank-you! š
Ummmm why haven’t I ever heard of this?! i’m going to have to make my little this dish sometime š
xo, Jessica || The Petite Diaries
My kids loved it, and I bet your little would too! š
So quick and easy I’ll definitely be making this soon!
Thanks! Hope you all like it! š
this looks so amazing. adding this of my list of recipes to put into rotation around here!
Thank-you! Hope you enjoy it! š
Ooh this looks SO good! I think I’m gonna have to try this one out!
Thank-you! It tastes delicious!
that looks delicious. Bet my husband and mini-me would go crazy over this!
Thank-you! My kids loved it and they are both pretty picky! š
This looks delicious!!! I have seen so many taco pasta recipes floating around but have never jumped on ones. Yours looks super yummy and I love shells! they are one of my favorite noodles. I may have to give this a go!
Thanks and you should! I’ve tried a couple out there that don’t have a lot of flavor to them, but this one is delicious! I especially like adding fresh parsley and salsa to mine for a little kick. š
This looks really good! I’ll have to try it sometime. š
Thank-you! š
So, I’ll now be making that this week, haha! Thanks for sharing. This looks delicious!
I’m so glad you made it Jennifer, and that you all enjoyed it! š
YUM! This would be a huge hit in my house š
Green Fashionista
It’s delicious, Kate! Enjoy if you try it!
This looks so yummy! I never would have thought about having tacos in pasta form but now I need to try it.
Rachel | http://www.seashellsandsparkles.com
Thank-you! It’s a great combination! š
Oh Cara you have combined two of our favorites, pasta and taco. Way to go!
That’s awesome Candy! I love tacos in any form or fashion as well-haha š
Gaaaaah so yum!! I have made something similar to this before and my husband LOVED it. Must try your recipe!
Awesome! There wasn’t hardly any leftovers once my husband got ahold of it-haha.
You had me at taco, and then added pasta… Two of my favorite things!
Haha the combination is delicious! Hope you’ll give it a try! š
Yum! Looks delicious and I think my husband would love it.
Thank-you! Hope ya’ll enjoy! š
I am a sucker for anything with pasta shells!!!
Me too! You could definitely omit the meat or substitute black beans and I’m sure it would still taste wonderful š
This looks delicious and so easy. My boys love tacos and pasta, so I’m sure they’ll love this!!
They would love this then, Emily! Thank-you!
Oh this sounds so delish!! I love how easy it is to make and so kid friendly!
My kids loved it, and they’re pretty picky! Hope you’ll give it a try š
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it ?
Thank-you! Hope you enjoy it! š
This would definitely make my husband happy! It perfectly easy and crowd-pleasing. Thanks for sharing!
If he’s a pasta and/or taco lover he’ll love it! Hope you enjoy! š
YUMMY!! Looks so good, hearty and easy! Definitely going in the meal rotation! Have a wonderful day gorgeous!!
Thank-you! You too š
Definitely pinning this! Love that it’s so easy and it looks so delish! I mean, you can’t go wrong with pasta and taco! <3, Pamela Sequins & Sea Breezes
Thank-you! I agree! š
Oh, that looks yummy. I love easy meals like this.
Thank-you! š
I love all things PASTA! I can’t get enough of the stuff. it’s amazing really, that I don’t weigh 900 lbs! What an easy and fun looking dish!
Haha, my husband is the same way and could eat pasta every day. Thank-you!
Oh my gosh Cara. Now you have me craving Mexican!!! Yummmy!
It’s delicious Chelsea, give it a try one night! š