One Pot Taco Pasta

One day I was browsing through my saved recipes on Pinterest and found one that looked promising.  It was a one pot dish that only took 30 minutes to make.  If you've been following me for long, you know that those two things are like magic words.  I love cooking, but don't usually have a lot of time to devote to it so the majority of meals I make take about 30 minutes or less to prep and then leave all day in the crock pot or take 30 minutes from prep to table.  This new one pot taco pasta I'm sharing today will have you jumping for joy because it's quick, easy and delicious.  Plus it uses basic ingredients that I always have on hand.

So before we get started, I have to point out that I can't take 100% credit for the birth of this dish.  I found a recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and then just made it my own.  It's different enough that I feel comfortable saying that it's simply been adapted from her recipe.  Let's get started!

Here's what you need:

It might look like a lot of ingredients, but like I mentioned above, this is a one pot dish so it's not complicated at all.

First, grab a large pot.  Brown your ground beef or turkey, drain and then put it onto a towel lined plate or bowl to soak up any additional grease.

Next, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, chili powder, oregano, pasta, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar to your pot.  Simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring often to make sure pasta doesn't stick, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Turn off the heat and add the ground beef, salt, pepper, onion salt and garlic powder.  Stir together to incorporate all the ingredients.

Top with shredded cheese and cover for 1-2 minutes to let the cheese melt.  The sauce will thicken as it stands.  Serve warm.

I'm not even kidding when I say that my family LOVES this meal.  It's one of those meals that pleases everyone and I don't have to fight the kids to eat it all.  In fact, they usually ask for seconds!  If we happen to have leftovers, this dish reheats really well and we just have it for lunch the next day.  It's been perfect for when we have company over because one batch of this taco pasta will serve 4 adults and 2 kids if we pair it with salad and rolls.  I hope you and your family love it!

One Pot Taco Pasta
(adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)
serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey or beef
• 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 1/2 cups bowtie pasta
• 2 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

 Directions:

1. Using a large pot, brown the ground beef.  Drain the fat and pour beef into a paper towel lined bowl to soak up any additional grease.  Set aside.
2. In the same pot, combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, chili powder, oregano, pasta, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar.  Simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring often to make sure pasta doesn't stick, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Turn off the heat and stir in the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
4. Top with shredded cheese and cover for 1-2 minutes to let the cheese melt.  The sauce will thicken as it stands.
5. Serve warm.
6. Store leftovers in a covered container for up to a week.