TACO MAC N’ CHEESE

I love comfort food during the fall.  It is great for when the trick or treaters come home.  They are cold and ready for a great warming meal.  This is a one skillet meal, so it is a simpler recipe for the cook at home to pull together while multi-tasking between homework, or trick or treaters at the door, or football and whatever else comes about during a cool autumn night.  Enjoy!

Serves: 6 or 8 Children

Total Time: 30-40 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 diced sweet onion
  • 3 cloves garlic minced.
  • 1 lbs. 8/20 ground meat.
  • 1 Tbsp. Nanny Bubby’s Taco Seasoning
  • 3 Tbsp. Tomato paste
  • 1 c. beef stock
  • 8 ozs. elbow macaroni cooked
  • 6 oz. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese.
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste.
  • Sour cream, green onions and avocado for garnish.

Nanny Bubby’s Taco Seasoning:

  • 1 Tbsp. Chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
  • 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. Cumin
  • 1 Tbsp. Onion powder
  • 1 Tbsp. Garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp. Oregano
  • 1 Tbsp. Black pepper

Directions:

This is meant to be made as a one skillet recipe and it is delicious. 

In a large, heated cast iron skillet add the olive oil.  As soon as it shimmers, add the onion and brown. This should take about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté with the onion for about 30 seconds.

Add the meat to the skillet.  Stirring frequently while breaking up the ground meat with a wooden spoon or spatula, brown the meat about 7-9 minutes.

Add Nanny Bubby’s Taco seasoning to the meat, along with the tomato paste and combine evenly coating the meat well.

Add the beef stock and bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Combine the elbow macaroni into the sauce and combine well.

Sprinkle the top heavily with the cheddar cheese and garnish with sour cream, green onions and avocado.

Serve right out of the skillet along with traditional taco shells, jicama taco shells, or Cheese Keto taco shells.

Enjoy!

For Nanny Bubby’s Taco Seasoning:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl with a wired whisk. That’s it

Store in a sealed container up to 6 months.