This Cheesy Taco Pasta is everything you want on a busy weeknight: creamy, loaded with seasoned beef, and so cheesy it stretches with every spoonful. I first made this when I needed to feed my sister Sarah and her kids after soccer practice, and it disappeared so fast I barely got a bowl for myself. The slow cooker does all the work while you go about your day, and the combo of Velveeta, cream cheese, and shredded Mexican cheese makes it ridiculously good.
If you love easy comfort food like this, you'll also want to try my Easy Taco Bell Enchirito Recipe or Healthy Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits for more cozy dinner ideas.
Why You'll Love This Cheesy Taco Pasta
This easy Cheesy Taco Pasta checks every box for busy families. It feeds a crowd, tastes better than takeout, and the leftovers are even better the next day. You get all the flavors of tacos without the assembly line of toppings and shells.
The slow cooker makes it almost foolproof. The ground beef taco pasta simmers low and slow, so the flavors meld beautifully. And that triple cheese situation with cream cheese, Velveeta, and shredded Mexican cheese? It creates the creamiest, dreamiest sauce.
Plus, you can customize it. Add more heat with jalapeños, toss in extra veggies, or top it with your favorite taco fixings. It's flexible like that.
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Cheesy Taco Pasta Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this creamy pasta with ground beef.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
- Ground beef: Two pounds of beef gives you plenty of hearty, savory base. You can also use ground turkey or chicken if you prefer.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: Basic seasonings that bring out the beef's flavor and balance everything.
- Diced hatch chiles: These mild chiles add a subtle smokiness and depth without too much heat. If you can't find them, use green chiles.
- Salsa: Adds moisture, acidity, and extra taco flavor. Use your favorite brand or homemade.
- Garlic powder: Enhances the savory notes and blends smoothly into the sauce.
- Onion: Diced onion adds sweetness and texture as it softens in the slow cooker.
- Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes: These bring a deep, smoky tomato base that makes the sauce rich and complex.
- Black beans: Drained beans add protein, fiber, and heartiness to stretch the dish further.
- Frozen sweet corn: Corn adds pops of sweetness and color throughout the pasta.
- Chicken broth: Keeps everything moist and helps the flavors meld together during the long cook time.
- Taco seasoning: The packet delivers all those classic taco spices in one go. You can use homemade if you prefer.
- Cream cheese: Softened cream cheese makes the sauce ultra-creamy and smooth.
- Velveeta cheese: This melts perfectly and gives you that stretchy, gooey texture everyone loves. It's key to the cheesy taco pasta with Velveeta vibe.
- Medium shell pasta: These shells catch all that sauce in their little pockets. Cook them al dente so they don't get mushy.
- Reserved pasta water: This starchy water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and brings everything together.
- Shredded Mexican cheese: The final layer of melty cheese that takes it over the top.
- Optional toppings: Guacamole, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, and limes let everyone customize their bowl.
How To Make Cheesy Taco Pasta
Let's get this Cheesy Taco Pasta going.
Season and brown the beef: Season your ground beef with salt and pepper, then brown it over medium heat in a skillet until no pink remains, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain off any excess grease so your pasta isn't oily.
Prepare slow cooker: Give your 6-quart crockpot a light spray with non-stick spray to make cleanup easier. Add the browned beef, hatch chiles, salsa, garlic powder, chopped onion, fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, drained black beans, frozen corn, chicken broth, and taco seasoning. Stir everything together until well combined.
Cook in the slow cooker: Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours, letting all those flavors develop and meld. About 30 minutes before your cook time ends, boil your shell pasta in salted water until al dente, following the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
Add cream cheese and Velveeta: Drop the softened cream cheese and Velveeta into the slow cooker and stir until both melt completely into the sauce, creating a smooth, creamy base. Add your cooked pasta and reserved pasta water, stirring until every shell is coated in that gorgeous sauce.
Final cook and add cheese: Cover the crockpot again and cook on high for 20 more minutes so the pasta absorbs the flavors. Turn off the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then stir in the shredded Mexican cheese until it melts and gets all gooey.
Serve and enjoy: Ladle the cheesy taco pasta into bowls and let everyone add their favorite toppings like guacamole, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Equipment For Cheesy Taco Pasta
You don't need much to pull this off. A 6-quart slow cooker is essential for fitting everything comfortably. You'll also need a large skillet for browning the beef, a large pot for cooking the pasta, and some basic mixing spoons for stirring.
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe is pretty flexible if you need to swap things around.
Meat: Use ground turkey, chicken, or even plant-based crumbles for a different take. You could also use leftover taco meat if you have it.
Pasta: Try rotini, penne, or elbow macaroni instead of shells. Just keep the cooking time the same.
Cheese: If you don't have Velveeta, use more cream cheese or add a handful of American cheese slices. For a sharper flavor, use cheddar instead of Mexican blend.
Spice level: Add diced jalapeños, chipotle peppers in adobo, or a dash of cayenne if you want more heat. Use hot salsa instead of mild.
Veggies: Toss in diced bell peppers, zucchini, or mushrooms with the other ingredients. They'll cook down nicely in the slow cooker.
Make it lighter: Use lean ground turkey, low-fat cream cheese, and reduced-fat shredded cheese. Skip the Velveeta or use less of it.
Storage Your Cheesy Taco Pasta
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The pasta soaks up more sauce as it sits, so you might want to add a splash of broth or water when reheating.
To reheat, microwave individual portions for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. You can also reheat on the stovetop over low heat with a bit of extra liquid to loosen it up.
This doesn't freeze particularly well because of the pasta and cream cheese, but if you want to try it, freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This cheesy comfort food is pretty much a meal on its own, but here are some ideas to round it out:
Serve it with warm tortilla chips and fresh salsa on the side for scooping. A simple side salad with lime vinaigrette cuts through all that richness nicely. Cornbread or garlic bread makes a great vehicle for soaking up extra sauce. And if you want to go all out, pair it with Mexican street corn or a quick guacamole. Check out my Best Achiote Chicken Recipe for another crowd-pleasing dinner idea.
Expert Tips
Brown the beef properly: Don't skip this step. Browning adds flavor and lets you drain off excess fat so your pasta isn't greasy.
Cook pasta al dente: Slightly underdone pasta is key because it continues cooking in the slow cooker. If you cook it too long initially, it'll turn mushy.
Use room temperature cream cheese: Softened cream cheese melts faster and more smoothly. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you need it.
Reserve pasta water: That starchy water is liquid gold. It helps the sauce stick to the pasta and brings everything together beautifully.
Don't skip the final 20 minutes: This step lets the pasta absorb the sauce and the flavors marry together. It's worth the wait.
Adjust seasoning at the end: Taste before serving and add more salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lime if needed.
FAQ
What is a Cheesy Taco Pasta?
Cheesy Taco Pasta combines the flavors of tacos with pasta instead of shells or tortillas. It usually includes seasoned ground beef, taco spices, tomatoes, beans, and plenty of cheese mixed with cooked pasta. It's like a Tex-Mex pasta casserole that gives you all the taco taste in a cozy, creamy dish. My family loves it because it's easier to eat than traditional tacos and makes great leftovers.
What is a misleading name for a Cheesy Taco Pasta?
Some people call it "Cheesy Taco Pasta" or "taco pasta," which can be confusing since it's not actually shaped like a taco. It's really more of a cheesy Mexican pasta or taco-inspired pasta dish. The name makes you think of a taco shell filled with pasta, but it's actually pasta mixed with taco-seasoned ingredients. Either way, it tastes delicious no matter what you call it.
What to make with leftover taco meat for dinner?
Leftover taco meat is perfect for this slow cooker pasta recipe. You can also use it in quesadillas, stuffed peppers, nachos, or taco salad. My go-to move is making breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs and the leftover meat. You could also stir it into rice with some beans and cheese for a quick burrito bowl. It reheats beautifully and saves you time on busy nights.
Is Mexican Cheesy Taco Pasta a thing?
Absolutely. Mexican pasta dishes like sopa seca, fideo, and recipes like this cheesy taco pasta are super popular. They blend Italian-style pasta with Mexican flavors like chiles, tomatoes, cumin, and cheese. It's comfort food that crosses cultures in the best way. This recipe proves that pasta doesn't have to be Italian to be amazing.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Cheesy Taco Pasta
Cheesy Taco Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef Use chili-ground beef for chunkier texture or regular ground beef for a smoother mixture.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt Adjust to taste.
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper Adjust to taste.
- 1 4 oz can diced hatch chiles Use mild or hot based on your preference.
- ½ cup salsa Select your preferred spiciness level.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder Adds a savory depth.
- 1 medium onion diced (Yellow or white onions work best.)
- 1 28 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes For extra smoky flavor.
- 1 15 oz can black beans Drained and rinsed.
- 1.5 cups frozen sweet corn Or use canned corn, drained.
- 1.5 cups chicken broth Low-sodium recommended.
- 1 1.25 oz packet taco seasoning Choose your preferred brand.
- 4 oz cream cheese softened (For creaminess.)
- 2 oz Velveeta cheese Adds a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- 16 oz medium shell pasta cooked al dente (Cook until just firm; drain and set aside.)
- 1 cup reserved pasta water Helps with the sauce consistency.
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese For the final cheesy layer.
Optional Toppings:
- Guacamole For added freshness and creaminess.
- Sour Cream For a cooling contrast.
- Green Onions For a fresh crunch.
- Cilantro For a pop of color and flavor.
- Limes For a tangy squeeze.
Instructions
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Season the ground beef with salt and pepper. Over medium heat, brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain any excess fat.
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Lightly spray a 6-quart slow cooker insert with non-stick spray. Add the browned beef, hatch chilies, salsa, garlic powder, chopped onion, crushed tomatoes, black beans, corn, chicken broth, taco seasoning, and stir to combine.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
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About 30 minutes before the end of cook time, cook shell pasta until just al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta water. Drain pasta well.
- Add cream cheese and Velveeta to the slow cooker. Stir until melted.
- Add shell pasta and reserved pasta water. Stir well until all shells are covered in the taco mixture. Cover the crock and allow to cook on high for an additional 20 minutes.
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When done, turn off the slow cooker, adjust any seasoning to taste, and add shredded Mexican cheese. Fold into the mixture until completely melted. Serve and enjoy!
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