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Oct
01
2013

Taco Spaghetti Bake

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Taco Spaghetti Bake – Change up your usual spaghetti night by making it with wonderful Mexican flavors and melty cheese!
Taco Spaghetti Bake

Do your kids love spaghetti?  Mine do!  Well, I ran across a Tex-Mex version of spaghetti in Cooking with Paula Deen magazine.  It was one of those ideas, for whatever reason, that had not occurred to me…to make a Mexican version of a simple, basic Italian classic.
Taco Spaghetti Bake
I changed up a few things from the original recipe, and I think it came out great.  It does make enough for a 9×13 size casserole dish.  We normally cannot eat all of that, so I just freeze the leftovers for a busy night.  You can also split it into two smaller aluminum foil casserole pans and freeze it before baking.
Taco Spaghetti Bake
Taco Spaghetti Bake

Taco Spaghetti Bake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
  • 1 16 oz. block Colby Jack cheese, shredded
  • 1 8 oz. block of Pepperjack cheese, shredded
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp-1 tsp salt
  • 1 16 oz. package of angel hair pasta, cooked to al dente
  • Toppings: green onions, sliced black olives, cilantro

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large pot, brown ground beef and onion. Remove all of beef mixture to large bowl when cooked.
  3. Add butter to same pot. Melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour constantly for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low. Gradually add in milk and tomato sauce. Continue to slowly whisk to combine with flour mixture.
  4. Add in diced tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until mixture has thickened.
  5. Add beef mixture back to pot, shredded cheeses (reserving 1/2 cup of each for topping), cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Taste and add more salt, if necessary.
  6. Stir in cooked pasta, mixing well to combine.
  7. Spoon into casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with sliced olives and green onions and additional cilantro if desired.
  8. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?

I WANT TO SEE! Follow JAREN_DIARYRECIPECOLLECTOR on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag @jaren_diaryrecipecollector and #diaryofarecipecollector. I would love to know what good stuff you are making!

© Jaren
Category: Main Dish

And if you are looking for just the classic Italian version of this, click below.

Baked Spaghetti
Baked Spaghetti
**There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I love! Thank you for supporting Diary of a Recipe Collector! See my privacy policy for more info**
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Jaren

Jaren

I am a wife to an awesome husband, mother of four great kids, and a middle school math teacher. I love collecting recipes and cookbooks! Being able to share the things I make with others is so much fun for me. I have gotten so many cookbooks and torn so many recipes out of magazines! This is my way to really make use of them. I am starting this blog as a way to chronicle the recipes I’ve tried and pass them along. I hope everyone enjoys!!!
Jaren

Latest posts by Jaren (see all)

  • One Pot Beef Taco Rice - January 10, 2021
  • Best Recipes You Can’t Miss - December 31, 2020
  • Top Recipes of 2020 - December 30, 2020
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Comments

  1. Jocelyn says

    October 7, 2013 at 2:07 pm

    What a great twist to spaghetti. We do like tacos, so I think this would go over big with my family!

    Reply
  2. Stephanie Parker says

    October 8, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    Looks great! I could totally eat a piece for breakfast – YUM!

    Reply
  3. Renée B. says

    October 8, 2013 at 6:41 pm

    This looks delicious!! Adding it to my menu rotation for next month!

    Reply
  4. Andi @ The Weary Chef says

    October 18, 2013 at 4:56 am

    I love this recipe, Jaren, and the photos are great! Thanks so much for sharing this with us at Saturday Night Fever 🙂

    Reply
  5. Leanne @Texas Crafty Kitchen says

    January 8, 2014 at 2:17 pm

    We have made this several times. It is becoming a favorite in our home!

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      January 8, 2014 at 2:37 pm

      Awesome! Glad to know that!

      Reply
  6. Jessica says

    April 5, 2014 at 5:16 pm

    I made this tonight and it turned out great! I used ground turkey and omitted the pepperjack since I’m a wimp when it comes to heat. It still had plenty of flavor. What a great way to combine my love of both Mexican and Italian food. I’m so glad I found this on Pinterest. I will definitely make this again. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      April 5, 2014 at 5:27 pm

      That is so awesome to hear it came out great for you! So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  7. Heidi says

    June 12, 2014 at 9:20 pm

    Just pulled this out of the oven, can’t wait to try it! It made a huge pan so if you’re looking for something to feed a crowd this is it! 🙂

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      June 12, 2014 at 9:28 pm

      So glad you tried it! Hope it turned out great! I usually freeze my leftovers for another night when I make a large casserole.

      Reply
  8. TidyMom says

    July 14, 2014 at 6:21 am

    what a fabulous idea! my family would love this!

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      July 16, 2014 at 8:37 pm

      Hope you’ll give it a try soon! Thanks for visiting!

      Reply
  9. Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos says

    July 14, 2014 at 8:24 am

    What a terrific meal to feed a crowd!!

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      July 16, 2014 at 8:37 pm

      Yes it is! Thanks for visiting Becca!

      Reply
  10. Cate O'Malley says

    July 14, 2014 at 8:53 am

    My kids would be all over this – yum!

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      July 16, 2014 at 8:36 pm

      Yes they will! Thanks Cate!

      Reply
  11. susie says

    July 18, 2014 at 11:34 am

    Could u use ground turkey in this ?

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      July 18, 2014 at 1:47 pm

      Most definitely! Thanks for visiting!

      Reply
  12. Keli Johnston says

    August 6, 2014 at 5:43 pm

    Yummy thanx for these great looking recipes!

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      August 6, 2014 at 6:21 pm

      Your welcome! Thanks for visiting Keli!

      Reply
  13. Nancy Berg says

    September 13, 2014 at 7:20 pm

    I was wondering when add to add cilantro. The first time I added with cumin and chili powder. The 2nd time I forgot to add it even though I didn’t add it. Great dish. Kids and hubby loved it! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      September 13, 2014 at 10:23 pm

      Thanks for noticing that Nancy! I updated the recipe. I usually add it with the cumin too and then put a little extra on the top before serving. So glad you and your family like it!!

      Reply
  14. Sandy says

    September 30, 2014 at 7:21 am

    Thanks for posting the taco spaghetti bake. Just wondering if I can make this the night before then bake before serving. Sandy

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      September 30, 2014 at 1:12 pm

      Hi Sandy! Yes, you can make everything ahead of time, place it in the casserole dish, let it cool down, and refrigerate until ready to bake. You will probably need to increase your baking time since it will go into the oven cold.

      Reply
  15. Sinea Pies says

    October 11, 2014 at 10:10 pm

    This looks marvelous! Pinned it to my casseroles board 🙂
    Would love it if you’d stop by on Tuesday night 7pm ET for our Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop to share this!

    Reply
  16. sally spencer says

    April 13, 2015 at 10:54 am

    Can you use a package of taco seasoning instead of the spices in the recipe? Sounds yummy.

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      April 13, 2015 at 9:30 pm

      Hi Sally! You sure can! Hope you love it and thanks for visiting!

      Reply
  17. Dotty Dyer says

    April 26, 2016 at 2:27 pm

    Question, this looks yummy, planning on preparing this for pot-luck Sunday at church..the tomatoes are they the regular 15 oz size or the larger size?

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      April 27, 2016 at 9:36 pm

      Hi Dotty! Yes, use the regular 15 oz can. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  18. Tynisha says

    January 28, 2019 at 8:47 pm

    Jaren,
    I made this recipe tonight and it was awesome. Plus my daughter loved it!!! I also added another layer of favor of ground cayenne pepper and green peppers. I will definitely make this again. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.

    Tynisha

    Reply
    • Jaren says

      January 29, 2019 at 9:55 pm

      So glad you liked it! Thanks for visiting!!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Cheesy Southwest Chicken Soup Recipe - Julie's Eats & Treats says:
    October 9, 2015 at 12:25 pm

    […] Taco Spaghetti Bake […]

    Reply

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I'm Jaren, and I am a wife to an awesome husband, mother of four great kids, and a middle school math and science teacher. I love collecting recipes and cookbooks and sharing what I make!

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