Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni noodles
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
- 1 packet (3 tablespoons) taco seasoning
- 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1.5 cups half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- chopped cilantro and sliced green onion for garnish
- Kosher salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions just until al dente.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, crumbling with a spatula, until browned and cooked through.
- Stir in taco seasoning and Rotel tomatoes and let simmer for a couple minutes to thicken. Set aside and clean out the pan.
- Melt butter in the clean large saute pan over medium-low heat. Once it bubbles, add flour and cook, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in half and half until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in mustard powder, garlic powder, and onion powder along with a few large pinches of salt and a couple pinches of pepper.
- Gradually stir in shredded cheese until it melts.
- Stir in cooked elbow macaroni until it’s well coated in the sauce.
- Stir in taco meat mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced green onion and serve!
- If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review and rating below!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- Use freshly shredded cheese for the smoothest sauce—pre-shredded cheese can make it grainy.
- Don’t overcook the pasta since it’ll cook a bit more once mixed with the hot sauce.
- Want a spicier kick? Add a dash of cayenne or hot sauce to the cheese sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 353
- Sugar: 3.8 g
- Sodium: 322.3 mg
- Fat: 15.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.8 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 24.2 g
- Cholesterol: 71.8 mg
