Taco Mac and Cheese is simple comfort food that combines two meal time favorites into one delicious dish. Includes a recipe for oven baked mac and cheese.
We love tacos and mac and cheese in our household but for some reason I’d never combined the two together for dinner. My kids loved this meal. I’m guessing yours will too. What’s not to love, really? Creamy and comforting mac and cheese. Combined with your favorite taco toppings. You can choose to make your mac and cheese from scratch. I have a simple, oven baked recipe to share with you. Or you can really simplify and use a boxed mac and cheese. Either way, this meal is a winner.
How to Make Taco Mac and Cheese
Choose your favorite mac and cheese recipe. I’m sharing mine with you, so keep scrolling to the bottom for full instructions and list of ingredients. Boxed mac and cheese works just as well and is quicker. Once the mac and cheese is made, simply top it with your favorite taco toppings:
- beef taco filling
- chopped tomatoes
- chopped fresh jalapeño peppers
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
- fritos
Watch How to Make Oven Baked Mac and Cheese
Kitchen Tips
- This is my favorite boxed mac and cheese to use in this recipe
- This is the blender I used in the video
- Substitute ground turkey or veggie crumbles for the ground beef if you like
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Taco Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz macaroni
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 cups half and half
- 8 oz smoked Gouda cheese grated
- 8 oz medium cheddar cheese grated
- 2 tsp yellow mustard
- 2 tsp hot sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 envelope taco seasoning
- favorite taco toppings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a baking dish (at least 8 cup capacity) with the two tablespoons of butter and set aside.
- Combine the shredded Gouda and Cheddar cheeses and set aside about 1 cup of cheese. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, half and half, remaining shredded Gouda and Cheddar cheeses (about 3 cups), salt, mustard and hot sauce. Blend until smooth.
- Stir the half and half and cheese mixture into the uncooked pasta and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 for 45 - 55 minutes (or until the macaroni is cooked through - I tasted it to make sure). Remove the dish from the oven. Remove the foil and stir well. Top the cooked macaroni with the remaining cup of shredded cheese
- Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Return the macaroni and cheese to the oven and bake an additional 10 - 20 minutes, or until the cheese on top is bubbling and starting to lightly brown.
- While the macaroni and cheese is baking, cook the taco meat and prepare the other taco toppings.
- Serve the mac and cheese topped with your favorite taco toppings.
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