Baked Taco Pasta

This is a really easy, really delicious comfort food dish that's perfect for a cold winter night. Tacos are one of my favorite foods, as is pasta, so why not combine the two??

I sort of wished I had crumbled up some Fritos or tortilla chips as a topping, to give this the sort of crunch I love from hard shell tacos, so I'd recommend giving that a try. You could add any number of other toppings too, based on your preferences - fresh or pickled jalapenos, olives, sour cream, whatever floats your boat. Make it work for you!

Baked Taco Pasta

16 oz. rigatoni noodles
1 lb. ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup water
4 oz. cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheese
Toppings - tomatoes, scallions, jalapenos, olives, sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil the pasta for the shortest time listed on the package instruction so it remains a little al dente. Drain.

Cook the ground beef in a large skillet and drain the excess grease. Add the taco seasoning and water to the ground beef and cook for a few minutes until thickened. Add cream cheese to beef mixture and stir until melted.  Put cooked pasta in a casserole dish (I used a deep 9 x 13 pan), and mix in 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese. Add the beef mixture to the pasta and gently combine. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and the top is beginning to get slightly brown. Serve toppings per your personal taste.

Bolognese Sauce

What's better than the smell of a big pot of sauce slowly simmering in your kitchen? Especially this sauce, which gets extra love from some bacon! It's thick, it's hearty, it's easy to make, and it tastes so darn good. I haven't bought jarred sauce in years because I always like to make my own and freeze it in small portions to have on hand for a quick dinner. I've switched up my sauce recipes over the years and I think this may be my new go-to when I want a good bolognese. On top of being delicious, it's fairly healthy, at just 3 points plus per half cup serving. Can't beat that!

Bolognese Sauce
Recipe adapted very slightly from Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
4 oz pancetta, chopped (or center cut bacon - that's what I used because it was cheaper)
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, minced
1/2 cup carrots, minced
1 lb lean ground beef (I used 93% lean)
1/4 cup red wine
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup half & half

Directions:
In a large pot (I used my Dutch oven), cook the pancetta or bacon over low heat until the fat renders/melts. You're not looking to completely cook the bacon or get it crispy; you just want a lot of the grease to cook out so that there's more red/pink parts of the bacon left than the white fatty parts. This took about 8 - 10 minutes to get to the stage I was looking for. Increase the heat to medium-low and add butter, onions, celery and carrots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add ground beef and season it with salt and pepper. Once meat is browned, add the wine and cook until it reduces down, about 3-4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and the bay leaf. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in the half & half and parsley and cook just a few minutes longer.

Makes about 8 cups.  

Cheeseburger Macaroni

I am fully aware that this post, this "recipe", is a total cheat. It's one of the easiest things you could possibly make and can't even really be considered a recipe. But it is hands down my favorite comfort food. I loved when my mom used to make it when I was growing up, and it's still what I make now, as a 32 year old, when I just want a hug in a bowl. 

In my opinion, it's WAY better than the Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni many of you may be familiar with. For some reason I could never really get on board with that stuff. But this, with the Kraft mac & cheese, is just oh-so-good. I should note that while it is optional, adding ketchup on top (which I promptly mix in thoroughly) is a must for me. It makes a near-perfect meal absolutely perfect.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (I use 93% lean)
7.25 oz box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, original flavor
2 cups water
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
Ketchup for topping, optional (but not really)

Directions:
Cook the ground beef in a large pan over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Drain excess grease from pan. Reduce heat slightly and add in the macaroni and 2 cups of water, stirring to combine and making sure the pasta is mostly covered by the water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water is mostly evaporated, 8 - 10 minutes. Add the butter, packet of powdered cheese, and milk. Stir to melt the butter and combine thoroughly. Serve, topped with ketchup!