Taco Mac
Servings 8 servings (may vary)
Calories 532kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry elbow macaroni (about 3/4 of a one pound box))
- olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 medium sweet onion small diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper (or poblano) seeded and diced
- 1 cup taco sauce use mild/medium/hot (your preference)
- 1 1.0 oz package Taco seasoning
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 cups shredded colby jack cheese
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp garlic salt OR 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 3 medium green onions, thinly sliced for garnishing
- sour cream, cherry or diced Roma tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush a 12 inch cast iron skillet with oil or spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- To Make the Macaroni: Cook macaroni in salted water per the package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- To Make the Taco Beef: In a large pot or Dutch oven heat a couple of drizzles of olive oil. Add ground beef, onion, red pepper and jalapeno (or poblano) pepper. Cook over medium high heat until no pink remains in the beef.
- Drain excess fat from pot and return to the stovetop. Next, add taco sauce, taco seasoning, lemon pepper, cumin to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat then add macaroni and remove from heat. (Use a large enough pot to double as the mixing bowl.)
- To Make the Sauce: In a separate saucepan while ground beef cooks, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour whisking until fully absorbed. Gradually whisk in milk and garlic salt increasing heat to medium high. Bring to a gentle bubble then immediately lower heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Pour sauce into pot with macaroni and taco beef. Add 3 cups shredded cheese, mixing to combine. Pour mixture into baking dish and top with reserved 1 cup cheese.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
- Serve garnished with green onions and topped with sour cream, diced tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro, if desired.
Notes
- You an use lighter dairy for this dish. Light cheese, light butter and 2% milk.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1016mg | Potassium: 714mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1828IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 603mg | Iron: 3mg