Boxed macaroni and cheese is a staple in our lunch routine and I’m not the least bit ashamed about it. The kids love and heck, I don’t mind eating their leftovers, either.
Every once in awhile, however, I get the spark to jazz it up a little bit. Sometimes I’ll just add some frozen veggies, other times hot dogs, and this time I made it into Beef Taco Mac and Cheese!
How to Make Beef Taco Macaroni and Cheese
This recipe starts with a box of macaroni and cheese. We love Annie’s Organic Classic Macaroni and Cheese because it’s made with organic ingredients and without artificial flavors, artificial colors, or preservatives. Plus, it tastes pretty darn good!
While the water for the macaroni and cheese is heating up, it’s smart to multitask and get started on the beef. I just used about 1 pound of organic ground beef, which we buy in bulk from Costco. To that, I simply added some taco spices like chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder, some black beans, and frozen corn.
Then you simply combine the prepared macaroni and cheese with the taco beef mixture, and serve! I also added some diced tomatoes at the end because Lars has really been into tomatoes lately from our garden and I’m just going to ride that train as long as I can!
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Yields 4-6 servings
5 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
25 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 box macaroni and chese (we love Annie's Organic Classic Mac and Cheese), prepared according to the box
- ~1 lb ground beef
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Optional toppings: diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, chopped green onions
Instructions
- Prepare the macaroni and cheese according to the box directions.
- While the mac and cheese is cooking, prepare the rest of the dish.
- In a large skillet, brown the beef over medium-high heat, breaking it into small chunks as it cooks.
- Once cooked, add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt, stirring well to combine.
- Stir in the black beans and frozen corn and cook until the corn is warmed, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beef mixture to the macaroni and cheese and stir until well combined.
- Serve and top with optional toppings including diced tomatoes, diced avocado, cilantro, or green onions.
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