One Pot Taco Macaroni and Cheese is where Mac and cheese meets taco night, and it is ALWAYS a huge hit with my family! This dinner is all made in one pot and combines ground beef or turkey, taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn, pasta, and cheese for one delicious meal.
Like most people, I have a deep love for meals that require minimal pots and pans to make. It’s no surprise that one pot/pan/skillet dishes are so popular! I decided to combine our love for taco night with pasta, and have been making this One Pot Taco Macaroni and Cheese for awhile now. It is a family favorite of ours and I’m so excited to finally share the recipe!
What You’ll Need
Ground Beef – I have also made this using ground turkey and Impossible ground “meat”
Taco Seasoning – I always use a mild taco seasoning since I serve this to my kids
Tomato Sauce
Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles – this can be found by the canned diced tomatoes. One well known brand is Rotel
Frozen Corn – you can also use canned corn, but I prefer frozen
Milk – I used 2% because that is what my kids drink, but I think anything from skim to whole milk will work
Chicken or Beef Broth – water also works in a pinch!
Elbow Macaroni
Shredded Cheddar Cheese – you could also use shredded Mexican cheese
Diced Green Onions
How to Make One Pot Taco Macaroni and Cheese
As mentioned, this recipe is so easy and is all made in one pot. To start, brown the ground beef in a large pot. I used my dutch oven and my meat chopper to break the ground beef into smaller chunks.
Once the beef is browned, add the taco seasoning, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, corn, milk, and broth, and mix well to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Next, add the pasta and cover, letting it simmer for 8-10 minutes. You want the pasta to be cooked through. Last, remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Serve topped with green onions and enjoy!
Make Ahead Taco Pasta
This dish can be prepped ahead up until the point of adding the pasta. Then, when you are almost ready to eat dinner, you simply bring the mixture to a simmer, add the pasta, and cook until softened. This makes dinner time super quick and easy, and there is minimal cleanup after dinner! I’m a huge fan of prepping as much ahead of time as I can, and this is a great recipe to take advantage of that.