Natasha's Mexican Casserole

Submitted by Natasha513

"I created this casserole at least 20 years ago to for a quick, easy meal for my family."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) box elbow macaroni
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 -2 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (13 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (13 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 packages taco seasoning mix (low-salt if desired)
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• pepper or dill, as desired

directions

1. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil for about 10 or 15 minutes over medium heat until wilted.
2. Remove from pan.
3. Sauté ground beef until browned.
4. Return onions and garlic to pan and add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and taco/other seasonings, mixing well; lower heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
5. Meanwhile, cook pasta for about 6 minutes so still slightly firm (do not overcook).
6. Drain pasta and put into large bowl, keeping warm.
7. Pour ground beef mixture over pasta in bowl.
8. Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and mix will.
9. Pour everything into a 9”X13” glass baking pan.
10. Top mixture with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.
11. Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly on sides.
12. When serving, add a scoop of sour cream on side of plate if desired.
13. Serve with a crisp salad, ranch-flavored Doritos, and sangria.

Reviews

[mommyof 3]

One word: YUMMY!!! I had to omit the stewed tomatoes and add two cans of tomato sauce instead because my husband does not like tomatoes. I left everything else the same and topped with sour cream and it was a hit. Great recipe and very easy to prepare. Thanks!!!

 

[Cookin-jo]

Love it! My son will not eat pasta casseroles but not only did he scarf it down the first day, he ate leftovers the second day. That's a first and worth more than 5 stars to me! I substituted rotini for the elbow macaroni and crushed tomatoes for stewed. I used a white cheddar with hot peppers in it...fantastic! Thank you for a wonderful recipe to repeat!

 

[GeeWhiz]

Tasty, easy casserole! I used only 1lb. of beef, diced tomatoes, and added corn & green chili peppers - it's a great recipe for adding personal touches. I did leave the cheese off the top and just let everyone add to their own tastes. Thanks very much!

 

[Joellen1972]

This is very good!!! I changed it around a little to fit what I had available--I used wagon wheels pasta, 1 lb. ground turkey, and then added a can of black beans. It's very easy to prepare and is a nice variety for cooking with pasta.

 

[KMSAGB]

What a yummy recipe. We will definitley be having this one again because it tastes so good. A couple of things we changed / added: we used chopped tomatoes instead of stewed, ketchup instead of sauce, we didn't use any garlic powder or dill and we sprinkled the top of the casserole with one half cheddar cheese, one half mexican cheese and both sides tasted just as good :).