Basic Taco Pasta Casserole

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground meat (beef, chicken and/or turkey) *See post for other ideas

1 (16oz) box pasta shells

1 (15.5oz) jar salsa

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

1 packet of taco seasoning + 1 cup water or milk

Optional: Add 1/2 cup cream cheese, sour cream, or half and half for a creamier sauce

Instructions:

1.Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside. To make this using just one pot, use a dutch oven!

2.Using your dutch oven or a cast iron skillet, brown meat. When done, drain any fat.

3.Add your cooked pasta to the drained meat. (If you don’t have a dutch oven or cast iron skillet, you can move everything to a casserole dish.) Then layer with meat.

4.Next sprinkle the seasoning packet over the meat then pour water over top. Next add salsa.

5.Give everything a stir to mix ingredients together then top with shredded cheese.

6.Bake in the oven at 400˚ for about 18-22 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

7.Serve with any taco-style toppings you’d like. See above post for ideas!

Enjoy!