Everything you need for a delicious meal is in this Crock Pot Beef Taco Pasta Recipe. It is loaded with cheese, hearty ground beef and taco flavor. This recipe is an easy and tasty slow cooker meal.
Crock Pot Beef Taco Pasta Recipe
This recipe is the best comfort food and the entire family will love it. You can easily get dinner on the table fast with hardly any effort.
There is so much to love about this quick and easy cheesy taco pasta. The flavor is amazing and has everything you love about tacos in a tasty pasta recipe.
Your family will go crazy over this meal and you will love how simple it is to make. This dinner recipe is super easy with prep time being 30 minutes or less.
Why we love this Easy Taco Pasta Recipe:
- The slow cooker does all of the work.
- It is a one pot meal.
- Budget friendly.
- This meal is absolutely delicious.
Everything you need for an amazing meal is in the slow cooker.
Ingredients
- ground beef
- onion,
- green bell pepper
- seasonings
- tomato sauce
- salsa
- milk
- beef broth
- elbow macaroni
- cheddar cheese
How to make Crock Pot Taco Pasta recipe:
- Cook the ground beef. Brown the beef in a skillet and drain the grease.
- Add the cooked ground beef to the crock pot. Then add the bell pepper, seasonings, tomato sauce, salsa, milk and broth. Stir until well combined.
- Add the pasta. Once everything has finished cooking, you will need to add the pasta 15 minutes before serving. Do not add this early or it will be mushy.
- Combine the cheese with the mixture. Once the pasta is tender, it is time to stir in the cheese until melted.
Jump to recipe below for complete instructions and nutritional content including saturated fat.
Taco pasta topping ideas:
- Diced tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips
- Corn Chips
- Shredded cheese
- Diced Onion
- Hot sauce
- Avocado
- Salsa
- Fresh Cilantro
These are just a few of our favorite ideas. You can use any of your favorite taco toppings.
What to serve with beef taco pasta:
- Cheese Quesadilla
- Avocado Dip and tortilla chips
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Salad
Slow cooker Taco pasta variations
- Ground Turkey – This is an easy substitute for ground beef and a great way to reduce your meat budget. It will take on the flavor of the taco seasoning and no one will even realize.
- Ground Chicken – This is another good substitution for the ground beef. If you are trying to lighten the recipe, this is a tasty option.
- Homemade Taco seasoning -We prefer to skip the store bought packets of seasoning and make homemade seasoning. It is very easy and you can make a large batch at once to use whenever you need it.
- Cream Cheese – If you prefer a creamier dish, add ½ a block cream cheese when you add the shredded cheese. Stir to combine before serving.
- Pasta. Try substituting other types of pasta instead of using elbow. Other great ideas include: bow tie, penne, shell and more.
- Rice. Instead of using pasta in this recipe, try using rice. I keep rice in the freezer and just toss it in at the end.
- Vegetables. The onion and bell peppers add so much flavor to this recipe. You might want to add more bell peppers and use red, yellow and green. The combination will look stunning and taste amazing.
- Tomatoes. Jazz things up and use fire roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.
Vegetarian option:
- Substitute 2 cans of beans for the ground beef. I would use either pinto or black beans.
- Use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
Tips
- This recipe might look watery initially but do not worry. The pasta will soak it all up and it will be perfect by the time you serve this.
- Crock Pot liners make this easy recipe even more simple. They are great to reduce clean up.
- This is a great dish to sneak in veggies so your kids won’t notice. Finely chop carrots and toss them in the mixture. They will never notice and you can easily get them to eat more vegetables.
How to store:
Allow the pasta to cool completely. Place inside an airtight container in the fridge. It will last up to 2 to 3 days.
Can you freeze this recipe?
Yes, this pasta dish can be frozen. Allow it cool and then place inside a freezer container or bag.
It can be frozen up to 2 to 3 months. This recipe makes a lot and we often freeze some for later.
It makes such a great lunch or dinner to enjoy later in the month without any effort.
How to reheat:
This recipe can be reheated using the microwave or the stove top until heated through. I recommend adding a little extra water or broth when reheating this pasta.
Sometimes the pasta will soak up the liquid and become dry when reheating. If you had a little extra liquid, it will help to restore it to its original texture.
Enjoy this easy meal.
Serve and enjoy this wonderful meal. It is absolutely so delicious and hearty as well.
You can easily and quickly feed a large family without much work or expense. This is the best recipe and so very simple.
The next time you need a one pot recipe, give this one a try. It will definitely impress your family with minimum ingredients and prep work.
Print this beef taco pasta recipe below:
Crock Pot Beef Taco Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 can tomato sauce 8 oz
- 1 cup salsa
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cups beef broth
- 3 cups dry uncooked elbow macaroni
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until it is brown. (Or use your Ninja)
- Add to a 6 quart slow cooker.
- Add in bell pepper, seasonings, tomato sauce, salsa, milk and broth. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4.
- 15 minutes before serving stir in the pasta. It will look very watery but don’t worry the pasta will soak it up. Cover and cook for 15 minutes until the desired tenderness is reached.
- Stir in the cheese until melted.
- Serve immediately. Top wth sour cream, diced tomatoes and chives.
Nutrition Facts
This is pretty much what I’ve known as a goulash. But this is a kick it up a bit and it Easy to make recipe! ??Love it!! ?
Although I have had this recipe before and it is quite yummy as is. I tried making it today with leftover taco meat which I had added a can of rotel to the day that I had made it. Super quick and very delicious!