Spice up Pasta Night with a culinary trip south of the border. This pasta casserole is loaded with seasoned beef, a blend of cheeses, enchilada sauce, and a bit of spice. It’s a hearty and satisfying meal your entire family will love.
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What makes Taco Spaghetti a great family weeknight meal?
When you have to prepare dinner for a lot of people, there’s nothing simpler than throwing together a casserole. This recipe for Taco Spaghetti is a delicious, easy-to-make family-style meal that will please even the pickiest eaters.
The bold flavors come from the taco seasoning and enchilada sauce, but the cheese and pasta tame the heat. Topped with green onions for freshness and sour cream for tang, a Taco Spaghetti casserole is tough to beat.
Why you’ll love this recipe for Taco Spaghetti
Finding a good casserole recipe can feel like winning the lottery. If you are looking for something different that is still familiar enough for your kids, you’ll want to bookmark this one.
Made with inexpensive kitchen staples you probably always have on hand, it is a good choice for those days when you just can’t be bothered to go to the supermarket or don’t want to break your budget.
Check out the variations below for some great ways to customize this Taco Spaghetti recipe.
Taco Spaghetti Bake ingredients
For preparing this Taco Spaghetti recipe, you’ll need:
Thin spaghetti noodles
Ground beef
White onion
Taco seasoning mix packet
Water
Red enchilada sauce
Mexican shredded cheese blend
American cheese or Velveeta cheese
Angel hair or vermicelli would also work in this recipe.
For garnish, you’ll need:
Sour cream
Green onions
Black olives
How to make Taco Spaghetti Casserole
To prep the ingredients:
Chop the white onions into small dice. Reserve for later.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. The spaghetti should be a little undercooked so it can absorb some of the sauce while in the oven without becoming soggy.
While the pasta is cooking, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.
Add the onions and cook until translucent.
Drain the fat from the skillet and return the skillet to the heat.
Stir in the taco seasoning and water. Simmer for a few minutes.
Add the enchilada sauce to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low.
When the spaghetti is ready, add it to the skillet and stir to combine.
Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish and carefully transfer the spaghetti and sauce onto it.
Top with both varieties of cheese.
To bake the Taco Spaghetti casserole:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Top the casserole with both cheeses and place it in the oven.
Bake until the cheese begins to brown, about 30 minutes.
Remove the casserole from the oven.
While waiting for the casserole to stop bubbling, thinly slice the green onion. Reserve for later.
Slice the casserole into serving portions and plate.
Garnish each portion with a dollop of sour cream topped with the canned black olive slices and the reserved green onion.
Tasty toppings for this casserole
Here are some suggested toppings:
A dollop of sour cream.
Some chopped fresh cilantro.
Sliced green onions, black olives, and sour cream.
Crumbled Doritos or tortilla chips.
Recipe variations to make it your own
The sky is the limit when it comes to customizing this Taco Spaghetti bake. Here are a few options, but feel free to add your favorites to the comment section below.
Substitute the meat. Use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef. You can even go with soy crumble to make the dish vegetarian.
Make it low-carb. Choose zucchini or eggplant noodles instead of pasta.
Make it creamy. Add four ounces of cream cheese to the enchilada sauce.
What to serve with taco spaghetti bake
Fill out the meal with these sides:
Frijoles a la Charra. These rich beans are cooked with bacon, onions, and garlic in spiced tomato sauce. You can make Frijoles a la Charra a day in advance since it gets better when it sits overnight.
Roasted Street Corn. Sweet corn brushed with seasoned mayo and cotija cheese is an easy and delicious side dish to try. Since you can cook Roasted Street Corn on the grill, it is a great recipe to make at an outdoor potluck.
Mixed greens salad. Easy and quick to make, a salad might be the perfect side. You can jazz up even the simplest salads with a great homemade salad dressing. This Santa Fe Salad Dressing is based on the one they serve at The Cheesecake Factory and goes particularly well with Tex-Mex flavors.
How to store leftovers
Let the casserole cool to room temperature before covering it with aluminum foil or transferring it to an airtight container. Stick it in the refrigerator for up to three days, or it will stay good for at least a month in the freezer. Thaw the frozen casserole in the fridge before reheating.
What is the best way to reheat taco spaghetti?
To warm up any extra taco spaghetti:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Transfer the casserole to a baking dish and place on the counter to warm to room temperature.
Cover the baking tray with aluminum foil and reheat for 12 to 15 minutes.
Love casseroles with Mexican flavors? Try these recipes!
Chili Relleno Casserole with Beef
Favorite taco inspired recipes
Find lots of easy recipes for casseroles and the best Mexican food recipes here on CopyKat!
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