One Pot Taco Pasta

I was up extra early today, wanting to try and finish two quilts before dinner. With that goal in kind, i needed to figure out something for dinner that was healthy, quick and easy with ingredients I had on hand.

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 onion, peeled and chopped medium dice
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 16 oz packaged dried elbow macaroni
1 bottle Heinz chili sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
1 jar salsa
1 can sliced olives
1 can kernel corn
1 can black beans
1 TBSP dried cilantro or 2 TBSP fresh chopped cilantro
2 tsp of cumin powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

Optional: 1/2 cup low fat sour cream for garnish

Brown meat, onion and garlic in stock pot until meat is brown and onion tender about 5-7 minutes.
add cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper, chili and tomato sauces, salsa and the olives, corn, beans including the packing liquids in each can. Blend well and then mix in 16 oz or two cups of uncooked elbow macaroni. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes or until the pasta is al dente, stirring once or twice to ensure it's not sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Stir in the cheese, blending well, recover and simmer on low 4-5 minutes. Serve in a wide bowl with a generous dollop of sour cream, if desired. The sour cream really makes the dish creamy and extra delicious.

Makes 8-10 healthy servings. Refrigerate leftovers. Can be reheated in microwave easily.

The dinner was delicious, easy to make, no waste and Mike liked it so much he had a huge second helping!

#TacoBake #PastaDish #OnePotSupper