Southwestern Casserole

Name: Southwestern Casserole
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).
Ingredients: 2 cups (8 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni; 2 pounds ground beef; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained; 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste; 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained; 1-1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese; 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

I've been making this mild family-pleasing southwest casserole recipe for years. It tastes wonderful, fits nicely into our budget and, best of all, makes a second one to freeze and enjoy later. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas

Ingredients

2 cups (8 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

Directions

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in next 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain macaroni; stir into beef mixture.
Preheat oven to 375°. Transfer macaroni mixture to two greased 2-qt. baking dishes. Top with cheese and jalapenos. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly and heated through, about 10 minutes longer. Serve one casserole. Cool the second; cover and freeze up to 3 months.
To use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator 8 hours. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°, 20-25 minutes.

Test Kitchen Tips

A Monterey, California, businessman named David Jacks made Monterey Jack cheese popular in the late 1800s by shipping it to San Francisco and other areas of the U.S.

Using lean ground beef in the meat loaf instead of beef that’s 80% lean saves 45 calories per 4-ounce serving of beef. Lean ground beef is also 29% lower in saturated fat.

Check out 50 vintage casserole recipes that deserve a comeback.

Editor's Note

Wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 321 calories, 15g fat (7g saturated fat), 64mg cholesterol, 673mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 4g fiber), 24g protein.

Originally published as Southwestern Casserole in Quick Cooking September/October 2001

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Rick

Mar 11, 2019

I agree Matt, this is Goulash or Chili Mac, if you prefer. ??
Matt

Mar 9, 2019

This seems like a great recipe. Making it now, in fact. I think it will be great once it's done. Can we talk about what this is though? This is goulash with a bit of a spicy twist. Not a complaint as I love goulash; just want to point it out in case you don't. Enjoy!
D.

Feb 28, 2019

Didn't know how to rate this since I haven't made it yet, but I'm wondering if someone could suggest another spice to use besides cumin. My family HATES cumin and we're not real big on cilantro (in lots of mexican foods) either. Like a couple of others here, I would use a can of Rotel tomatoes rather than using a can of green chilies and a can of tomatoes. Seems like a no-brainer. My DH is diabetic so I would probably not use quite as much macaroni but he can have some with no problems.
Tami

Feb 8, 2019

My decision to keep a recipe (or ever cook it again) is if my son enjoys it. This one? A keeper!
KMB719

Jan 21, 2019

Good but needs more spice. I agree with previous two reviews and their suggested changes. I also suggest using 1/2 beef/1/2 chorizo sausage to kick it up. Also, suggest using Rotel instead of plain diced tomatoes. We also added more cumin
slocook805

Dec 30, 2018

Debbie you cook like I do. Brown the ground beef alone and drain the fat then brown any onions, garlic or peppers. Why dump the flavor of those items in the trash. I used black beans instead of kidney and as the pic showed, but the recipe didn't call for, I added frozen corn and a couple of minced fresh serrano peppers, we like spicy. This is a good starting point recipe to take in which ever direction flavor wise and heat wise you wish.
Lauren

Oct 29, 2018

I made this tonight and it turned out great. I used 3 cups of cavatappi pasta instead of 2 cups of elbows. My cavatappi package said to boil for 8-9 minutes - I boiled for 7. I added taco seasoning to the beef, and doubled the amount of cumin and chilli powder. I replaced the kidney beans with black beans. I baked it for about 25 minutes, and then broiled it on high for another 2-3 minutes. I did not find that it turned out mushy whatsoever. I think it would be great with some corn added, but was delicious regardless!
Michelle

Apr 19, 2018

Thanks to Debbie this recipe turned into a hit. The original recipe is GROSS & SOGGY! I did exactly what Debbie suggested except, here’s the winning trick, I added taco seasoning to the ground meat. No other seasoning needed.
TrishtheDish1

Oct 7, 2017

It was just okay in my opinion, yet my husband really liked it. I made the changes Debbie suggested to make certain there would be plenty of flavor. I added more spices because we like things hot. Still, I probably wouldn't make it again. I wanted a Mexican dish, and this is not. I don't feel that elbow macaroni lends itself well to making an authentic Mexican dish. Not for me, not probably ever again. Sorry.
Debbie

Aug 8, 2017

I am giving this 5 stars, but only because it is a wonderful starting point for a very tasty, economical casserole. I read the reviews and noted some people's comments on it needing "something". Yes, it does, and I think I have found the solution. First of all, lose the kidney beans and sub black beans. Brown the beef, drain the fat thoroughly then saut?e the onions and garlic separately. Cook the pasta to almost al dente, about 5 minutes. Add 4 chicken or beef bouillon cubes, crushed, to the mix. Substitute one can of tomatoes with the same amount of good salsa. Use pepper jack cheese that you grate yourself. Add about a cup and a half of corn. Mix everything together in a large container. DO NOT COOK/BOIL!!! That ruins it and turns it into mush! This recipe does not need to be overcooked. I make it in the morning, cover the dishes, put one in the freezer and one in the fridge. That way they have all day for the flavors to blend. I dice the jalape?os and mix them right in with everything. I cook it covered for all but the last 20 minutes. With 20 minutes left I uncover and cook for 10 minutes. Then with 10 minutes left I sprinkle the top with crushed (not obliterated) leftover tortilla chips. I have used hint of lime chips, regular ones, even a stray Dorito or two. It is a great way to use up those chips and it adds a nice casserole topping. I finish baking it for 10 minutes with the chips on top. It is perfect, especially when served with sour cream, guacamole, chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce. Don't forget the margaritas! ?Ol?!