QUESO TACO PASTA BAKE

Queso Taco Pasta Bake image

Provided by Krystal McDow

Time 40m

Number Of Ingredients 13

1/4 c butter
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg old el paso roasted tomato mexican cooking sauce (8 oz)
1 c finely chopped onion
1 lb lean ground beef
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 c salsa (i actually forgot to add this and i didn't feel like i was missing anything)
1 lb rotini pasta
1 c shredded mexican cheese blend

Steps:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Beat in flour, salt and pepper with whisk until bubbly. (I added the salt and pepper to the flour with a pinch of cayenne before adding to butter). Slowly beat in broth. Increase heat to high. Cook, beating until thickened. Stir in Cheddar cheese and cooking sauce. Remove from heat; set cheese sauce aside.
3. Cook pasta as directed on box.
4. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef, onion and cumin over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Drain; stir in salsa.
5. Drain cooked pasta; return to pasta pot. Add beef mixture and cheese sauce; stir to combine. Pour into baking dish; sprinkle evenly with Mexican cheese blend.
6. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve immediately.
7. MY CHANGES TO RECIPE: I completely omitted the salsa. Instead of adding cooking sauce to cheese sauce I added it to the beef mixture