The Food Factor: Quick Taco-Mac

Video by Jonathan Parrish.

The Food Factor crew loves quick and easy weeknight recipes, especially if they have a little kick. This Quick Taco-Mac is a one-skillet meal that you can adjust to suit your own taste preferences. For example, you can use your favorite ground meat, including venison. If you really like spice, you can add some salsa, green chiles, or even jalapenos! I recommend serving this with a quick side salad, and seasoned black or pinto beans. And, if you want to be really sneaky, steam and puree some yellow squash to mix in into your Quick Taco-Mac – you’ll be adding vegetables to your main dish, but no one will notice!

Crew review: this was our favorite recipe during this shoot, and we made nine different recipes! You’ll want to keep an eye on this as it cooks to keep it from sticking. We added a little more water as the pasta cooked.

Quick Taco-Mac

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 (14.5 oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 c. water
1 box macaroni and cheese

Directions:

In medium skillet, brown ground meat until crumbly. Drain fat. If using whole canned tomatoes, cut or break up the tomatoes. Stir in rest of ingredients, including the cheese packet from the macaroni and cheese. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, if desired.

If you don’t have a taco seasoning packet on hand, don’t worry! You can make your own taco seasoning mix!

Thanks to our friends at North Dakota State University for this recipe, which is part of their publication, “Now Serving: Tasty, Healthful Meals on a Budget.”

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