Taco Pasta

 I have tried a few different taco pastas over the years, and I think this one is my favorite. Very flavorful, and even better, made in one pan! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
4 oz. Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes (equal to 1/3 cup)* can sub with ¾ cup shredded cheese
1 lb. Ground Beef, 85% lean
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 oz. packet Taco Seasoning
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
1 cup Beef broth
1 cup Chicken broth
1 cup Whole milk, at room temp
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel Tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
½ lb. Medium pasta shells



Instructions

-Shred the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese from a block and set aside. It should be near room temperature when added to the pasta sauce.
-Cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat in a high-walled pot or dutch oven. Drain grease.
-Melt the butter in the same pot and add and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
-Add all remaining ingredients except the cheese and pasta. Stir to combine.
-Bring to a gentle boil. Add the pasta and submerge it in the liquid. Cover and cook according to package instructions. Slide a silicone spatula along the bottom of the pot halfway through to lift any ingredients that may be settling to the bottom.
-Remove cover and ensure the pasta is sufficiently cooked. Taste-test a noodle for doneness before proceeding If needed, cover and cook longer, until your desired doneness is obtained.
-Turn heat to low. Gradually stir in cheese until melted.
-There will be plenty of sauce but it will thicken upon standing and the pasta will continue to absorb it.
-Serve once desired consistency is obtained.

This was easy to make and super delicious. I did have to let the pasta cook for a few extra minutes in order to be soft enough for my liking. Also, I subbed some 505 Green Chile Sauce for the Rotel since my kids are pretty picky with tomatoes. I followed the recipe pretty closely otherwise. (I did use a little extra broth though since I used some extra pasta.) This will likely be my go-to taco pasta recipe from now on.

Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese

I stumbled on this recipe while scrolling Instagram and immediately thought it looked good. Even though the boys in my family are very loyal to Manwich when it comes to sloppy joes, I've been more than ready to try something new and this looked like the perfect opportunity to do so. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder and paprika
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1-2 TBSP Worcestershire
• 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 1 TBSP of mustard
• 2 TBSP of BBQ sauce
• Brioche Buns
• Butter or Mayo
• American Cheese slices

Instructions

• Brown the ground beef and a chopped onion in a skillet or on the griddle over medium high heat and add all seasonings.
• Once the ground beef is fully cooked drain any extra grease. Add minced garlic, Worcestershire, tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, and bbq sauce. Stir well.
• Let simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Spread a little bit of butter or mayo on the insides of the buns.
• Toast the buns over medium heat until golden brown. For the grilled cheese aspect make sure to assemble them with the toasted side of the buns out.
• Add American cheese to the bottom bun, top with a scoop of the sloppy Joe mix, and add one more piece of cheese on top. Place the top bun on (toasted side out). Enjoy!!

Notes

This recipe makes enough for 6 Sloppy Joe Grilled cheese. 

It was SO good! My husband was skeptical when he first heard what I was making because he loves his Manwich, but once he saw these sandwiches in front of him I could practically see the hearts in his eyes. Ha! And he LOVED them. Everyone did actually. I went easy on the sauce and onions but stuck to the recipe pretty closely. I doubled the recipe because I wanted to be sure I had enough and I also wanted some leftovers. I served them with fries. And, I will definitely be making them again!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I know I already have a couple other recipes for broccoli cheese soup on here, but this is a good one too. Might even be my current favorite! Here it is:

INGREDIENTS

SCALE

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup broccoli stems, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2–3 cups broccoli florets, chopped into very small pieces
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• an 8-ounce block of good quality extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sauté garlic and onion: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and broccoli stems; sauté until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
2. Build your roux: Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the soup pot. When butter is melted, add flour to the pot. Cook over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, until flour is thickened. Slowly pour in the milk and half and half, whisking constantly. (It will start thick but eventually it will thin out and resemble a creamy soup base.) Continue to thin it out, gradually whisking in the broth. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, whisking occasionally to reincorporate the skin that may form.
3. Add broccoli: When the soup base is thickened nicely, stir in the broccoli, carrots, and spices. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, until the broccoli bits are bright green and fork-tender.
4. Add cheese: Transfer the pot off of heat and allow to cool slightly for a few minutes. Stir in most of the cheese until melted. Serve in bowls with a little extra cheese + a hunk of crusty bread for dunking – and yes, it’s okay to cry tears of cozy joy! This is a happy moment!

I always double the recipe for my big family. It is super good! I never do the broccoli stems and only use about half an onion, otherwise I stick to the recipe.