This delicious meal combines two family favorites- tacos and pasta- for a super yummy meal the whole family will love!
Hey, y'all! Welcome to my latest series on the blog; Make Ahead Mondays! Let me tell you, meal planning and meal prepping has been a game changer for me. Recently, our family grew from a family of 2 to a family of 5 when our latest group of foster children joined us.
Before, when it was just the two of us, I'd meal plan- meaning I'd sit down on the weekends and figure out what meals I was going to prepare throughout the week. I'd jot down a grocery list and head to the store to stock up for the week. Now that we're moms to a 5-year-old and 1 1/2-year-old twin boys, I had to switch over to meal prepping. Meal prepping, for me, means planning out our menu, grocery shopping, and then spending a couple of hours 1 day a week whipping up all of our meals for the week and tossing them into the freezer until we're ready to use them. Ya'll, I have so much more time on my hands doing things this way AND there's a hell of a lot less dishes.
Throughout this series, I'm going to share with you the recipes I use to on these meal prep days. Hang on tight, your life is about to get so much easier! This week, I'm highlighting my Crock Pot Taco Pasta.
Crock Pot Taco Pasta is so incredibly easy to prepare. Simply toss all of the ingredients into the crockpot and let the machine do it's magic. The end result is full of flavor! Enjoy it alone or serve it with your favorite vegetables. This has been a great addition to our Taco Tuesday rotation.
Tips for Making Freezer Crock Pot Meals:
- Keep an eye on your grocery stores sale flyers and stock up on meat when it's on sale.
- Print off recipes your family likes so you don't have to hunt them down or create a special Pinterest board with all of your favorite freezer meals.
- Label each Ziploc bag with the name of the meal, simple directions and cooking time.
- Make sure you have all of the essentials before you get started- bag holders, gallon size bags, quart size bags, permanent markers, bag holders, and slow cooker liners are great to have on hand.
Kitchen Essentials:
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 cup water
2 tbsp taco mix
1 can Rotel
1/4 cup white onion, diced thin
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into 1 inch cubes
8 oz medium shell pasta
2 cups shredded cheddar
To Enjoy Now:
1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through. Drain off the excess grease.
2. In a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker, add ground beef, water, taco seasoning, Rotel, onion and garlic. Stir to combine.
3. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
4. Cook pasta according to box instructions. Uncover slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese until it has melted. Stir in cooked pasta and shredded cheddar until well blended.
5. Continue to cook, uncovered on high heat for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
To Enjoy Later (as a freezer meal):
1. Label a gallon size Ziploc bag with the meals name, directions and cook time. Set aside for step 5.
2. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through. Drain off the excess grease.
3. Place the cooked ground beef in a gallon size (or quart size) Ziploc. Add ground beef, water, taco seasoning, Rotel, onion and garlic to the bag. Remove the excess air and seal.
4. Place the uncooked pasta in a separate bag and seal (optional).
5. Add the beef mixture bag, the pasta bag, the bag of cheddar cheese, and 4 oz of cream cheese into the labeled gallon size bag.
6. Place in the freezer until ready to prepare.
7. Thaw overnight or for 24 hours.
8. In a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker, add ground beef, water, taco seasoning, Rotel, onion and garlic. Stir to combine.
9. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
10. Cook pasta according to box instructions. Uncover slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese until it has melted. Stir in cooked pasta and shredded cheddar until well blended.
11. Continue to cook, uncovered on high heat for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Be sure to save this yummy pin for later! Give me a like on Facebook or follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more delicious, easy to make recipes. You can also subscribe to the blog to have the recipes delivered straight to your inbox. See you next time!
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