April 29, 2023 By Lilly

This deliciously cheesy ground beef dinner is a hit with even the pickiest of eaters!

How can you go wrong with combining taco meat and macaroni & cheese? You can’t! This quick and easy dinner recipe is perfect for busy weeknight meals, especially if you have a family with kids to feed.

This dish combines two classic comfort foods, macaroni & cheese and taco meat, to create a fun and flavorful meal that the whole family will love. The ingredients are simple, affordable, and fast to throw together!

1Make the macaroni and cheese according to the package instructions. The Velveeta brand has everything included, but keep in mind that some of the boxed brands require milk and butter.

2Brown the ground beef in a large skillet and remove any excess grease. Stir in the taco seasoning and can of diced tomatoes and green chiles. You may also need to add about 1/4 cup of water. Allow it to simmer for at least 5 minutes.

3Dump the cooked macaroni and cheese into the skillet with the taco meat and stir to combine. That’s it, folks! Dinner is ready in less than 20 minutes.

Kids love the cheesy goodness of macaroni and cheese, and the addition of taco seasoning and tomatoes adds just enough flavor to keep things interesting. Plus, this main dish can be customized to suit individual tastes by adding extra toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapeño, or diced avocado.

This simple school night meal is an affordable and delicious dinner that is perfect for busy families, especially if you have picky eaters to feed. With just a few basic ingredients, you can create a satisfying and flavorful dish that everyone will LOVE! My kids always go back for seconds.

Make the meal complete with your favorite side of veggies! Air fried zucchini and bell peppers pair really well with this dish.

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Easy Taco Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

This quick and easy dinner recipe is a hit with my family! Even your picky kids will gobble it up. You're basically just combining two classic comfort foods, cheesy macaroni and taco meat to create a flavorful and simple weeknight meal.

Course: Main Course

Keyword: budget friendly, cheesy, easy dinner, easy meals, ground beef, pasta, picky eaters

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 boxes Velveeta macaroni and cheese
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 packet taco seasoning

Instructions

1. Cook the boxes of macaroni and cheese according to the package instructions.

2. While the water is boiling and the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Remove any excess grease and mix in about 1/4 cup water, the packet of taco seasoning and the can of diced tomatoes.

3. Allow the taco meat mixture to simmer for at least 5 minutes and then dump in the macaroni and cheese once it's finished. Stir to combine and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• You can use any brand of macaroni and cheese, just keep in mind that most of the brands also require milk and butter.
• This delicious pasta dish is great on its own, but you could also serve it with a bit of sour cream, hot sauce, avocado, or jalapeños.
• Looking for healthy side dish ideas? We love zucchini and bell peppers with this dish. I recommend cooking them in the air fryer tossed with a bit of olive oil and seasoning, but you could also roast them in the oven or sauté them on your stovetop.

 

If you like this recipe, check out this list of 21 Crazy Easy Ground Beef Dinner Ideas! 🙂