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CHEESY TACO SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE
If you want comfort food or just something that you know your kids will eat without complaining then you must try this Cheesy Taco Spaghetti Casserole.
Pasta, ground beef, chili beans, tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and Velveeta cheese make this taco spaghetti casserole so delicious and family friendly.
I love casserole recipes because they make a big pan of food, which means leftovers, and they’re fairly inexpensive to make for a family.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESY TACO SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE
Thin Spaghetti Noodles– The thin spaghetti noodles are preferred for this casserole. It will specifically say ‘thin spaghetti’ on the box. Cook according to package instructions. Remember to salt the pasta water. It’s easy to forget but it makes plain pasta taste so much better. I use about 1 teaspoon, but I never measure, I just eyeball it.
Ground Beef
Taco Seasoning – You can use whatever packet you want (low-sodium, mild, hot) or use about 3 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning.
Chili Beans – These are pinto beans in chili sauce. You will find them by the other canned beans and it will say ‘chili beans’ on the can.
Tomato Sauce
Velveeta Cheese – Yes, I know, Velveeta! Eat it this one time. Please. It melts perfectly silky and smooth and really makes this casserole delicious.
Shredded Cheese– This is sprinkled on top of the casserole. Use any kind you want. I usually always use Colby Jack cheese because I buy it in the big block at Costco.
MY TIPS FOR THIS CASSEROLE RECIPE
I love to serve this with some sour cream, sliced green onions, and chopped tomato. My kids always love when they can “decorate” their own food with toppings 🙂
Let’s talk about Velveeta cheese. I am a firm believer in ‘moderation in all things’ so yes, eat the Velveeta in this recipe, and enjoy it because it’s so good. Velveeta cheese melts so smoothly compared to real cheese. Yes I know Velveeta is not necessarily real, but if you want that silky smooth cheese then use it. Technically you could use real shredded cheese, but I promise it won’t be the same.
Don’t drain the chili beans. You want that mild chili sauce that’s in the can with the beans. Chili beans are simply pinto beans in chili sauce. You can get mild or medium heat. I always use mild. The can will specifically say chili beans on it. So make sure you get the right ones.
Cheesy Taco Spaghetti Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 box (1 lb) thin spaghetti noodles
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 can (15 oz) chili beans, undrained
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 8 oz velveeta cheese, cubed
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- chopped tomato & green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish and spray with cooking spray.
- In a skillet pan, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain and return to pan.
- Add the taco seasoning and water to the beef, stir until combined together.
- Add the undrained chili beans, tomato sauce, and chunked Velveeta cheese. Stir together and let the Velveeta melt. Turn heat to low and let simmer while the pasta cooks.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Remember to salt your water so your pasta has some flavor!
- Drain pasta when done and add to the taco beef mixture. Stir together and dump into the prepared baking dish. Top with the shredded cheese.
- Cook for 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped tomato and green onion.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Can I use re-fried beans instead of chill beans.
Yes, I think that would be a great substitute. Enjoy! ?
You could also use canned (or freshly cooked pinto beans. Nobody in my house likes black or kidney beans.)
We really liked the taco spaghetti. I added onions, green pepper, and garlic powder just because we like more seasoning. Otherwise I followed the recipe. My grandson said it’s a WINNER so I’m sure we’ll be having it often. Thanks
I love your additions. This recipe is very versatile so it works well for everyones tastes. Thank you for coming back to let me know 🙂
I add the green pepper for flavor also.
We love it!
Any tips for cooking ahead as a freezer meal? Thaw then finish or cook from frozen? Any feedback would be great!
Hi! I don’t do a lot of freezer food/dinners. I hesitate to freeze anything with dairy in it as it ends up being curdled when you try to cook it. But then again it uses Velveeta so maybe it would freeze fine. I can’t say for sure because I have never personally tried it myself.
I freeze mac/cheese all the time. Have never had a problem with milk curdling. I bake it frozen at 350 about an hour depending on size
I found the one box of pasta was too much pasta, I used about 2/3 of the box the 2nd time I made it and it turned out much better!!
That was exactly my experience too! Cant wait to try it again with less noodles.
What can I use to replace the Velveeta cheese? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hey! The only other substitute for Velveeta would just be shredded cheese. Although, it does not melt as creamy and smooth as Velveeta, which is why this is one of the few meals I make with Velveeta in it. It’s really so good. But again, if you just can’t use it then go ahead and add shredded cheese to your liking. I hope that helps.
I can’t find how many points per serving
I don’t do points at all. I know nothing about WW and would never want to give information that I can’t verify 🙂
Hi I want to try this recipe and I’m wondering if you have any suggestions of what to replace the tomato sauce with because im allergic to tomatoes. Thanks I appreciate any feedback.
Not sure if there is really anything to replace it with. I would probably just leave it out completely.
You can use Alfredo sauce? And add chopped in chicken, we prefer skinless and boneless thighs, it works great! And add your noodles/veggies! It won’t be taco flavored, but it’ll still works!!! 😉 enjoy!
What about Green Enchilada Sauce? I used it to replace tomato soup in a Campbell’s Mexican casserole recipe and it was fantastic!
Could you put cream cheese in it to make it creamy?
Yes I think that would be a great thing to use. I am assuming you would use it in place of the Velveeta. And I think it would work just fine.
Flavor was delicious! The whole box of pasta made it a little too dry for my taste, so next time I’ll do more like 3/4 of the box. Other than that it was really good!
Made this for dinner. My 4 step children loved it. The youngest boy age 9 ate 3 helpings. I’ve been asked to make it again and make two, one for dinner and one for leftovers!
I make a chicken spaghetti recipe that uses velveeta cheese and it freezes beautifully. I will be trying this recipe soon. Sounds amazing!
Good to know. I have never tried freezing Velveeta but now I just might. Thanks for your comment!
I didn’t have the beans but used diced green chilis in a can that were amazing. Great new recipe
That’s a fun idea to throw in green chiles! Thank you for your comment!
I make this but without beans. I also substitute the tomato sauce with Rotel. 😋
Love the idea of using Rotel! Glad you liked it!
I was not expecting this to be as good as it was with as easy & as few of ingredients as it has. But 10/10 so delicious! Will be on our family’s rotation now and already sent it to a few family members with rave reviews.
Thank you for your comment and for sharing the recipe!
Loved the casserole. Easy to make.I didn’t use the full amount of pasta, thought it would have been too dry.I served my homemade salsa and sour cream with it.Will be making it again.
Thank you for your comment! That’s what I love about casseroles, they’re easy to tweak to fit someone’s preferences.
Made this last night and it was a huge hit! My 17 year old son called it “the best of both worlds”, being taco and spaghetti. He suggested crumbling some tortilla strips over the top, also. Thanks for an awesome recipe. Will be using this for pot lucks and family gatherings in the future!
I LOVE comments like this. Thank you! The tortilla strips sound really good.
it turned out great… thank you