My favorite taco casserole recipe! This is one of my family’s favorite dinners!

This recipe is up there in the favorites.  When I first made it, we had it 2 more times that following week. Since then we’ve had it almost once a week.   Even though there’s only 2 of us, we usually finish a entire casserole ourselves.  We really really really really love it.  Who doesn’t like tacos? Who doesn’t like casseroles? Who doesn’t like cheese on top?  It’s like a dream world scenario!

More reasons why this makes me have happy dreams at night:

Taco Casserole Recipe

It’s easy to make.
You can make it early in the day, store it in the fridge and then cook it at night.
It’s pretty – the red and green colors are lovely!
It has cheese on top! Did I mention that already? Sorry.

Feel free to customize it too.  You can add a onion if you’d like.  Maybe throw some crushed chips on top, or some avocado slices.    Just please try this! 

 
Here’s all your ingredients.   You might even have everything you need already in your cabinets.

Measure your elbows (the noodles)..

And boil until al dente.

Drain, and set aside.

Chop up your green pepper. If you’d like to add a onion, this would be the time to chop that up too.

Put it in your pan..

Add your ground beef.

 
Then mix it all around so everything gets that delicious green pepper taste (and smell!) to it.

After the meat is brown, add your tomato soup.

Then  your diced tomatoes.  In the summertime I will make these fresh but for now the canned version will do.

Then add your beloved packet of taco seasoning.

Mix it all around.  Oh man, the smell, you can’t beat it.

Then add your elbow noodles.

And mix it good so everything is covered in that sauce mixture.

At this time it’s totally ok to test it. You should.  I did.  Even two spoons.  Noone is looking.  We’re all friends here.

Transfer the casserole to a baking dish.

Measure out your cheese.

And spread it on top.   At this time I usually take a big handful of cheese from the bag and eat it too.  Cheese, I love you.

Because I planned on making it that evening, some plastic wrap went on top and into the refrigerator it went. 

When you’re ready to make it..
Pop it into the oven and then enjoy! It’s really that easy!

One cheesy taco casserole will be yours.  All yours! Ok, you probably have to share.  

Serve, make sure you get some of that cheese on top.  If any cheese falls off into the casserole dish, fight for it.  You deserve it.

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Taco Casserole

My favorite taco casserole recipe! This is one of my family's favorite dinners!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup 8 ounces of elbow macaroni noodles
• 1 medium sized green pepper chopped
• 1 10.75 ounce can condensed tomato soup
• 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 package of taco seasoning mix
• 3/4 cup shredded taco blend cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, set aside.
3. In a pan cook ground beef with chopped green peppers until meat is brown.
4. Mix in tomato soup, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning. Mix real good.
5. Stir in pasta. Mix real good.
6. Put mixture into a baking dish.
7. Sprinkle cheese on top of the entire casserole.
8. Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted.

Recipe Notes

You can also:
Add a onion (same time you add the green pepper)
Sprinkle crushed up tortilla chips on top
Add avocado slices on top