Description
Cowboy pasta casserole delivers hearty southwestern comfort with rich cheese and bold meat flavors. Rustic ranch-style ingredients blend perfectly, creating a satisfying meal that connects home cooks with classic American culinary traditions you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Protein:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
Pasta and Vegetables:
- 1 pound pasta (penne, rotini, or elbow macaroni)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies (like Rotel), undrained
- 1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
Dairy and Seasonings:
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for sauteing)
- 1 cup beef broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped green onions (optional, for garnish)
- Fresh cilantro (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water until perfectly tender, following package guidelines. Drain and reserve.
- Sauté chopped onions in olive oil for 3 minutes until translucent. Add ground beef and cook thoroughly, crumbling meat into small fragments while browning.
- Incorporate taco seasoning into beef mixture. Pour in diced tomatoes with green chilies, corn, black beans, and beef broth. Allow ingredients to simmer and develop flavors for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Blend cooked pasta with beef mixture, stirring in sour cream and half the cheddar cheese until evenly distributed.
- Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer pasta and beef mixture, spreading uniformly across the surface. Sprinkle remaining cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese over the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese melts completely and develops a golden, bubbling crust.
- Remove from oven and let rest briefly. Optional: Garnish with fresh green onions and cilantro before serving.
Notes
- Customize the heat level by choosing mild or spicy taco seasoning to match your family’s taste preferences.
- Swap ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based crumbles for a lighter protein alternative that keeps the dish versatile.
- Boost nutrition by adding extra vegetables like diced bell peppers or zucchini during the meat cooking stage for more color and texture.
- Make this dish ahead of time by preparing the entire casserole and refrigerating up to 24 hours before baking, which helps develop deeper flavor profiles.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 430 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg