Step 1

If mixing by hand: Whisk 1⅔ cups (208 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. baking powder in a large bowl. Add 2 oz. (56 g) chilled cream cheese, cut into 1″ pieces, and rub into dry ingredients with your fingers until fully incorporated (mixture will look very shaggy). Add 10 Tbsp. (140 g) cold unsalted butter, sliced ½” thick, and toss to coat in flour, then smash into smaller, flatter pieces (about chickpea-size).

If using a food processor: Pulse 1⅔ cups (208 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. baking powder in a large bowl in a food processor to combine, about 30 seconds. Add 2 oz. (56 g) chilled cream cheese, cut into 1″ pieces, to flour mixture and pulse in 3–5 one-second bursts to incorporate. Add 10 Tbsp. (140 g) chilled unsalted butter, sliced ½” thick, and pulse in 6–7 one-second bursts, or until butter is roughly the size of chickpeas.

Step 2

If mixing by hand: Make a well in the center and pour in ¼ cup (60 g) ice water. Toss mixture with a fork or your hands to distribute, then knead in bowl a couple times to bring dough together (some dry bits may remain).

If using a food processor: Drizzle ¼ cup (60 g) ice water down the feed tube of your processor while pulsing just until incorporated and dough clumps together (some dry bits may remain).

Step 3

Turn out dough onto a work surface lightly dusted with rice flour or all-purpose flour; dust top of dough with flour. Roll out to a ½”-thick rectangle. Fold dough in half, rotate 90°, and fold in half again. Roll out again to a ½”-thick rectangle and repeat folding process, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Pat into a ½”-thick disk and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours and, preferably, up to 12 hours.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Do Ahead: Dough can be made 1 month ahead. Cover disk in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze instead of chilling. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before using.

Step 4

To fit dough into pie dish: Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 5 minutes. Unwrap and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about a 12″ round about ⅛” thick. Brush excess flour off dough and transfer to a 9″-diameter pie pan. Lift edges and allow dough to slump down into pan, then press dough firmly into bottom and sides. Trim, leaving about 1″ overhang. Fold overhang onto itself, pressing firmly to seal; crimp edges if desired. Chill 15 minutes.

Step 5

To blind bake pie crust: Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 375°. Place crust on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Line crust with 2 sheets of parchment paper (crumple parchment, then unfold so it molds to pan better) and fill to edges with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are golden brown and bottom is opaque (carefully lift parchment to check), 30–35 minutes. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 325°. Lift out parchment and weights. Return to oven and bake crust until bottom and sides are evenly golden brown all over, 12–18 minutes.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Editor’s note: This homemade pie crust recipe was first printed online as “Actually Perfect Pie Crust” in September 2022; it has been updated to include additional ingredient weights and a food processor method. Head this way for our favorite pie recipes →

Juicy shrimp, tender onions, and sweet peppers are sautéed with southwest spices and tucked into warm tortillas with all your favorite toppings for the perfect quick weeknight meal.

Ingredient Tips for Shrimp Fajitas

• Shrimp: Use deveined and peeled large shrimp (31-35 per pound), and cut them into smaller pieces, if necessary. Frozen shrimp should be thawed first. If swapping out the protein, check out these recipes for chicken, steak, or pork fajitas.
• Vegetables: Along with peppers and onions, you can add mushrooms, zucchini, corn, cherry tomatoes, or even spinach for extra flavor and color in fajitas. Use a bag of frozen peppers and onions to save on prep time.
• Seasonings: Buy or DIY? Mix up this homemade fajita seasoning and keep extra on hand so you can whip up fajitas anytime the craving hits. Make it extra spicy by adding more chipotle powder, cayenne, or chili powder.
• Tortillas: Use any size of flour tortillas. Wrap them in foil and keep them warm in the oven, or use this handy tortilla warmer.

Tasty Toppings

• Make a fajita bar with bowls of diced avocado, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, jalapenos, and green chiles.
• Round out your meal and serve with a side of rice or corn fritters.
• Top it with shredded Mexican cheese, feta crumbles, and Monterey Jack.
• Finish them off with tasty scoopers like sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or a drizzle of cilantro lime dressing.

Storing Leftover Fajitas

Keep leftover fajita filling separate from tortillas in a covered container for up to 4 days

Serve shrimp and veggies with rice similar to a burrito bowl, or reheat shrimp fajita filling on the stovetop and serve with fresh toppings.

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Shrimp Fajitas

Shrimp fajitas are seasoned with a zesty homemade blend and come together in under 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

• Mix together paprika, chipotle powder, cumin powder, oregano, onion powder and salt in a bowl to make fajita seasoning.

• Add half of the seasoning to the shrimp and mix until well coated. Set aside.

• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large cast iron skillet and add the onions and bell peppers. Saute for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened slightly. Add the remaining seasoning and mix well. Slide the vegetables to one side of the skillet.

• Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for 3-4 minutes until they are pink and cooked through.

• Serve in tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Nutritional information includes shrimp and pepper filling only. Toppings and tortillas are not included. 
Optional toppings include cilantro, lime, sour cream, and guacamole.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Calories: 210 | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 954mg | Potassium: 567mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5626IU | Vitamin C: 146mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner, Main Course, Seafood

Cuisine Mexican, Tex Mex

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

Cheesy Taco Pasta Casserole

Prep TimePrep Time :20 minutes minutes

Cook timeCook Time :20 minutes minutes

Total timeTotal :40 minutes minutes

Servings : 10 servings

JUMP TO RECIPE

Cheesy taco pasta is the ultimate weeknight comfort food. It’s hearty, cheesy, and ready in just 30 minutes.

This easy taco pasta casserole combines tender pasta, seasoned taco meat, black beans, corn, and plenty of melty cheese for a family-friendly dinner that’s perfect for busy nights.

It’s also the best way to use up leftover taco meat from Taco Tuesday, turning it into a one-pot pasta bake that everyone will love..

I don’t know how many times I’ve made this taco casserole. If you’re like me and completely obsessed with tacos, you might have leftover taco meat in the fridge already.

When I’m doing my weekly meal prep, a batch of taco meat is almost always included. I brown up lean beef with onions and taco seasoning. I keep some in the fridge for the week, but I also freeze a portion for next week.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Family friendly
• Ready in 20 minutes.
• Great for meal prep and leftovers.

Ingredients For Taco Pasta Casserole

You probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry or freezer right now.

Pasta

• Dried pasta. A 1-pound box. You can use rigatoni as I did. But any pasta will work in this recipe. This easy pasta dish can be made with elbow macaroni, lasagna noodles, pasta shells, or spaghetti. You can go wild here.
• Alternatively, gluten-free pasta, cooked rice, or spaghetti squash can be used in place of the pasta in this recipe.

Taco Meat (Use leftover taco meat if you have it)

• Beef or chicken. 1 lb of lean ground beef or diced chicken. You can also use ground turkey to make taco meat.
• White onion. ½ medium onion, finely diced.
• Taco seasoning mix. 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning. I make my homemade taco seasoning blend.

Mix-Ins

• Rotel tomatoes. 1 – 10 ounce can.
• Red enchilada sauce. 1 – 19 ounce can.
• Black beans. 1 – 15 ounces can, drained.
• Corn kernels. 2 cobs of fresh corn or 1 cup frozen

Cheese & Toppings

• Cheese: 16 ounces of shredded Colby Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, or a Mexican cheese blend.
• Green onions. ½ bunch green onions chopped thin
• Sour cream.
• Guacamole
• Pico de Gallo – Fresh salsa is great with this recipe.

Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need

• 9 x 13 pan. Or something of equivalent capacity to bake the pasta casserole.
• Large bowl. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl before transferring them to the casserole dish to bake.
• Baking sheet. I put the 9 x 13 pan on the baking sheet to catch any melted cheese or bubbling sauce.

How To Make Taco Pasta Casserole

1. Preheat the oven to 400℉.
2. Boil the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the directions. I usually use a small number to make sure it’s very al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to a large bowl.
3. Brown the taco meat in a large skillet with the onion and the taco seasoning blend. (Use leftover taco meat if you have it)
4. Rotel tomatoes. Add ⅓ of the Rotel tomatoes to the bottom of the 9×13 pan. Reserve the remainder to add to the pasta.
5. Mix the ingredients. Get the large bowl. Add the cooked pasta, browned taco meat, beans, corn, the enchilada sauce, the remainder of the Rotel tomatoes, and half of the cheese. Toss to combine.
6. Assemble. Add the pasta mixture to the 9×13 pan. Top with the remaining cheese.
7. Bake. Bake until the cheese is melted. Roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Serve. Top with sliced green onions and freshly minced cilantro. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Tips For Making Taco Pasta Casserole

Recipe Variations

• Different meats: Any meat can be used for this recipe. Just season it with a bit of taco seasoning and give it a quick sauté.
• Make Taco Soup: To make taco soup, leave out the cheese and add in 4 to 6 cups of chicken broth. You can top the soup with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
• Gluten Free: Use gluten-free pasta in this recipe. You can also make this recipe with spaghetti squash.

What To Serve with Taco Pasta

A big leafy green salad is always a great side to serve with a casserole. Try my champagne vinaigrette dressing.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Having a few go-to spices on hand allows you to add a lot of flavor to whatever you are cooking, really easily.

This taco seasoning is great on chicken, beef, or peppers and onions, especially when making veggie tacos. I also use it in my tortilla soup recipe and my 5 Alarm Fire House Chili.

MORE EASY DINNER RECIPES

Sometimes, you’re not in the mood to cook dinner, but don’t you dare pick up that phone and order in. I have so many 30-minute meals.

Sheet pan dinners, such as Steak Fajitas or Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, are ideal when you don’t want to do a lot of dishes. Everything bakes together on one sheet pan.

I’m practically famous for my fried rice recipes, such as Spam Fried Rice, Spicy Dirty Rice and Beans, and my Easy Take-Out Style Chinese Fried Rice. Any of these is great if you have some leftover rice.

Cheesy Taco Pasta Casserole

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Cheesy taco pasta is the ultimate comfort food! This easy 30-minute recipe combines pasta, seasoned taco meat, beans, and melty cheese for a family-friendly dinner. Perfect way to use leftover taco meat from Taco Tuesday.

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 10 servings

Calories 562 kcal

• Preheat the oven to 400℉.

• Boil the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the directions. I usually use the small number to make sure it’s very al dente. Drain the pasta and add to a large bowl.

  1 box pasta

• Brown the taco meat. Brown the meat with the onion and the taco seasoning. You can use leftover chicken or beef in this recipe if you have it.

  1 lb ground beef, ½ medium onion, 1 tbsp taco seasoning

• Get the large bowl. Add the cooked pasta, browned taco meat, beans, corn, and half of the cheese.

  1 box pasta, 1 lb ground beef, 15 oz black beans, 1 cup corn kernels, 16 oz cheese

• Rotel tomatoes. Add 1/3 of the Rotel tomatoes to the bottom of the 9×13 pan. Add the remainder to the pasta.

  10 oz rotel tomatoes

• Enchilada sauce. Add the enchilada sauce to the pasta. Toss to combine.

  19 oz red enchilada sauce

• Assemble. Add the pasta mixture to the 9×13 pan. Top with the remaining cheese.

• Bake. Bake until the cheese is melted. Roughly 15 to 20 minutes.

• Serve. Top with sliced green onions and fresh minced cilantro. Serve with your favorite toppings.

  1 bunch fresh cilantro, ½ bunch green onions, 1-2 avocados, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo

Shortcut:
This recipe is super fast and easy if you have pre-cooked your meat. I like to have browned ground beef and onions in the fridge ahead of time so that I can make things like this when I am short of time. 
For the corn: Alternatively use 1 cup of frozen corn or 1 can of corn, drained. 
For the taco meat: Alternatively, you can use diced or shredded chicken with taco seasoning. 
Gluten-Free? Just use gluten-free pasta. 

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Calories: 562kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 30gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 800mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7gCalcium: 350mgIron: 3mg

Keyword casserole, easy dinner, enchilada, pasta, tex mex