Taco Mac & Cheese (From A Box)
Taco mac and cheese takes an ordinary box of mac and cheese and turns it into a kicked up complete meal your family will love. You’ll never look at boxed mac the same again after trying this easy recipe!
Taco Tuesday is a thing in our house.
To be honest so is Taco Monday, Taco Wednesday….
You get the idea.
We make them a lot because they are super easy and everyone loves them.
The other thing we make a ton?
Mac and cheese.
Why not take classic taco flavors and fixings and combine it with boxed mac and cheese for an entirely different take on taco night with almost no extra work?
Sounds like a great- and delicious- plan to me!
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Boxed mac and cheese– I recommend 2 boxes of queso blanco Velveeta mac and cheese.
- Veggies– A diced small yellow onion and seeded and diced poblano pepper
- Ground beef– Use lean ground beef so it doesn’t cook down too much and get greasy
- Taco seasoning– A packet of your favorite brand
- Spicy ranch dressing mix– Your favorite brand
- Canned diced tomatoes with green chiles– Drained
- Condensed soup– Fiesta nacho cheese style. You could use regular nacho cheese condensed soup if you can’t find fiesta style..
- Cheese– Shredded Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese
- Sour cream– Full fat is best
How to Make
Taco mac and cheese is so easy to make thanks to the boxed mac and cheese base!
To do it, cook the mac and cheese according to the package instructions.
While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef in a large skillet, breaking it apart as it cooks.
Stir in the onion and pepper halfway through browning the beef.
Keep cooking the beef, stirring often, until it’s completely browned throughout.
Drain off any excess grease and set aside.
Once the pasta’s cooked to al dente drain it completely and then return it to the pot.
Stir in the cheese sauce packets until completely combined.
Once the noodles and cheese sauce are completely combined, stir in the beef mixture, seasonings, tomatoes, soup, cheese, and sour cream to the mac and cheese.
Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until it is hot bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover taco mac and cheese in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Serving Ideas
You can load this dish up with your favorite taco toppings.
We love serving it with:
- a dollop of sour cream
- salsa
- guacamole
- diced jalapeno
- crushed tortilla chips
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you are using at least 85% lean beef, but 90% lean would be better. You don’t want it too cook down too much or get super greasy.
- If you can’t find queso blanco mac and cheese, you could substitute another version of Velveeta mac.
- Don’t want things spicy? Omit the spicy ranch mix.
Other Recipes with Boxed Mac and Cheese
Taco mac and cheese from a box is one of our favorite ways to turn a ho hum box of mac and cheese into an amazing, filling dinner we all love.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other recipes with boxed mac and cheese?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this TACO MAC AND CHEESE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Taco Mac & Cheese (From A Box)
Ingredients
- 2 12 oz boxes queso blanco velveeta mac and cheese
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 poblano pepper seeded & diced
- 1 1/2 - 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 pkt taco seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp spicy ranch dressing mix
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles drained
- 1 10.75 oz can fiesta nacho condensed cheese soup
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese or pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the mac and cheese according to the package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook the ground beef in a large skillet. Add the onion and pepper halfway through, stirring to combine. Continue cooking the beef breaking it apart as it cooks, stirring often, until completely browned throughout & crumbled. Drain off grease and set aside.
- Once the pasta's cooked to al dente drain it completely and then return it to the pot. Add the cheese sauce packets, stirring until completely combined.
- Add the beef mixture, seasonings, tomatoes, soup, cheese, and sour cream to the mac and cheese, stirring until evenly combined. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until hot & bubbly and the cheese is melted.
- Serve warm & enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you are using at least 85% lean beef, but 90% lean would be better. You don't want it too cook down too much or get super greasy.
- If you can't find queso blanco mac and cheese, you could substitute another version of Velveeta mac.
- Don't want things spicy? Omit the spicy ranch mix.
Nutrition
