Contest-Winning Taco Casserole

Name: Contest-Winning Taco Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings.
Cuisine: North America, Mexican
Ingredients: 3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta; 1 pound ground beef; 1/4 cup chopped onion; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 1 jar (16 ounces) salsa; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 envelope taco seasoning; 2 cups nacho tortilla chips, crushed

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 30 min. YIELD: 6 servings.

My preschooler doesn’t eat ground beef unless it’s taco flavored, so I came up with this casserole we all like. To make assembly easy, I prepare the taco meat and freeze several bags at a time. —Kathy Wilson, Romeoville, Illinois

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 cups nacho tortilla chips, crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, crumbling beef; drain. Add cheese, salsa, tomatoes and taco seasoning. Drain pasta; stir into beef.
2. Transfer to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with tortilla chips. Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes longer.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 578 calories, 28g fat (11g saturated fat), 84mg cholesterol, 1377mg sodium, 53g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 3g fiber), 29g protein.

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