Monday, April 16, 2012

Creamy Taco Mac


Yum.  This is good.  A healthy version of a taco casserole that carries a bit of spice, a creamy, cheesy sauce and really satisfies.  This is a great dinner, easy to put together after work and enough to feed a family or provide some tasty leftovers for lunch.  I was surprised at the heat, but really liked the creamy sauce.  Dave couldn't get over it and ate up most of the leftovers (which were just as good as the first night) before I got a chance.  This is perfect for a crowd or a pot luck, since it's a bit different.  And with turkey, fat free cream cheese, fat free sour cream and reduced fat cheese, you can make this a healthy dish as well.

This month, the Secret Recipe Club paired me with Join Us, Pull Up a Chair, and I was excited to sort through so many of Heather's delicious recipes.  I had a hard time choosing, so I narrowed down the choices to five, including Mini Chocolate Chip Scones, Cheesy Jalapeno Beer Bread, Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad, and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, along with this Creamy Taco Mac recipe.  I let Dave choose and after much hemming and hawing, he was intrigued by the Creamy Taco Mac, so we enjoyed it for dinner one night.  Delicious.  I did add a teaspoon of cumin to the recipe because I like the smoky flavor that develops the Mexican tones of this meal.  I'm so glad to have had the chance to explore Heather's blog a little bit more and can't wait to try a few more of her recipes.  Be sure to check out some of the other recipes in this week's reveal by clicking the blog hop following the recipe.



Creamy Taco Mac


Ingredients


8 ounces dry pasta (like small shells or elbow macaroni)
20 ounces ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
1 16 ounce jar of salsa
1/4 cup mild taco seasoning
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese


Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and dry pasta.  Cook until tender, reserving 1 cup pasta water.  Over medium heat, brown turkey until no longer pink.


Drain off fat and add onion, cooking for about 5 minutes.


Add salsa, taco seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper, and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.


Add cooked pasta, reserved water, cream cheese, sour cream, and shredded cheese, stirring until combined and to get all the cheese melted and incorporated.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes.



Top with extra cheese before serving.



Makes about 6-8 servings.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Printer Friendly Recipe



26 comments:

  1. So glad you like it Colleen! It's one of my favorite go-to meals when we need something quick and easy for dinner.

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    1. You've got a lot of great stuff Heather and this is totally going into my rotation!

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  2. Yum, this looks great! I can see why you had a hard time choosing a recipe, too! Have a look at the white chocolate berry meringue bars I chose to make for this month's reveal!

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  3. That's a neat approach to mac and cheese - looks incredibly tasty.

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  4. Oh, my goodness! That looks yummy! Thanks for picking it.

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  5. I love the variation on macaroni cheese. I sometimes get cravings for cheesy creamy pasta and this would definitely do the trick.

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  6. This looks awesome! I love anything tex mex, thanks!

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    1. It's worth a try, Debbi! And I noticed the other day that abut 90% of the meals I've pinned are tex mex--I'd call it a problem, but it's just so tasty!

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  7. Looks amazing. Love one dish meals, especially healthy ones! Thanks for sharing. Check out my spaghetti pie.

    Denise

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  8. I am not a Mac and cheese fan but add creamy and taco and I am in! Yum.

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  9. This would be an awesome quick meal. loving the creaminess !

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  10. Hi Colleen,
    We would just love this great recipe! It is fun cooking with you in the SRC!
    Miz Helen

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  11. At first glance this does NOT look healthy, but I'm surprised to see it is! I'm stopping by from SRC but be sure to stop by Seasonal Potluck this month. We have peas AND rhubarb link parties open! We'd love if you'd share any recipes you may have http://bit.ly/H9XJGB

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    1. I know right? A bowl of ooey gooey cheesy goodness AND not terrible for you!

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  12. This looks like a creamy bowl of comfort food!! My family would love this one. :)

    I hope went to my blog yesterday (post dated 4-16-2012) and collected a Versatile Blogger award. You certainly deserve one. :)

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  13. holy creamy tomatoey pasta batman! i dig anything with cheese and pasta (particularly macaroni noodles). Anything.

    Happy SRC reveal from a group D member!

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  14. I do like this one skillet meal with all that southwestern flavor in a cheesy pasta. I am glad Dave helped you choose this particular recipe, it is a keeper! Nice one for SRC-yum!

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  15. Oh this looks delicious. Love how creamy it looks. I am giving this one a pin to try sometime soon.

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  16. WOW! THis sounds so good. Not sure hubby would go for it, but I think I would love it.

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  17. yes please I would love a huge bowl of this mac

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  18. Why do you need to reserve one cup of pasta water? Do you add it back in when you add the noodles into the turkey?

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    1. Hi Holly, Thanks for catching that--I can't believe I left that out (it's fixed now). Yes, you'll add the water to the turkey mixture with the pasta and cheeses.

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    2. I think others probably understood it while I've never done that in a recipe, so I made it and when it was done I was like oops what was I supposed to do with this pasta water. LOL. It still tasted good my husband just thought I over added taco seasoning. LOL.

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  19. Mmm this looks delicious. I love mac & cheese. My kids do too. What a nice way to change it up!

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  20. My family has made this fro taco Tuesday night at least 4 or 5 times and it’s always a hit! The flavors are great! Absolutely delicious!

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