One-Pot Taco Helper
on Mar 03, 2023, Updated Sep 13, 2024
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Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
We can never have too many dinners that are quick, filling and dare I say liked by everyone in the house. I know what a crazy idea to have a meal that pleases all the pallets and also fills bellies up so a good night sleep is a guarantee. I can say without a shadow of a doubt this One-Pot Taco Helper can check all the boxes. This recipe became reality because everyone loves dinner made in one pot and I was also trying to see what hearty, healthy and abundant leftover meal I could make with the typical ingredients I keep on hand.
Like most anyone with children we always have pasta, the shape or sizes may vary from week to week but I can always count on having some kind of pasta magic in the pantry. Next we always have taco season and ground beef in the freezer. I dare you to open your freezer and see what kind of meat you have stashed back there, it may be under a few other items but you for sure have ground beef, or ground chicken.
If you are like me when you buy a taco seasoning pack you toss a few more in, because those things last forever and they are super handy in a pinch.
Lastly, the frozen veggies, I know as parents we are always working to get more veggies in the meals we make and frozen veggies does the hard work for you. I usually have a few bags of different mixes on hand because they are so great to mix into recipes. They also save time and money, yes please!
This meal is great on so many levels including that it makes a large pot. If you don’t have to feed a whole team of people this makes great leftovers and freezes even better.
Ingredient List
- Ground Beef– 80/20 is the perfect percentage
- Taco Seasoning – homemade or store-bought works great
- Oil
- Garlic
- Pasta– any pasta you enjoy, no set shape
- Water/Broth
- Milk– any milk or nondairy milk works
- Frozen Veggie Mix
- Shredded Cheese
- Avocado
- Sour Cream
Step By Step
- Start a large pot on medium heat and oil and garlic to the pot and sizzle for a few minutes. Add ground beef and breakup while cooking.
- Once the ground beef is broken up add the taco seasoning and 3/4 cup broth or water. Bring to a boil and continue to stir to ensure the seasoning is throughly combined.
- Add the pasta, water and milk then turn the heat to medium high and bring to a slight bowl. Cover and cook the noodles and meat for 12-15 min until the pasta is thoroughly cooked, be sure to mix a few times to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Once you know the pasta is cooked all the way, toss the whole bag of frozen veggies in, mix and cover for a few minutes.
- Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and avocado.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use any frozen veggies?
- I used the Mexican frozen veggie mix which usually has a combo of peppers, corn, black beans and onion. Feel free to use any frozen veggie mix that you have on hand.
Dinner In A Blink Of An Eye
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One-Pot Taco Helper
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 packet taco mix
- 16 oz pasta
- 4 cup water/ broth
- 1 cup any milk
- 1 pgk frozen veggie mix
- Shredded Cheese
- Sour cream
- Avocado
Instructions
- Place a large pot over medium heat.
- Add oil and garlic to the pot and sizzle for a few minutes then add the ground beef and break up while cooking.
- Once all the meat has been cooked and broken apart add the packet of taco mix and ¾ cup broth and bring to boil, continue to mix to ensure all the taco mix gets added.
- Add the pasta, water and milk then turn the heat to medium high and bring to a slight bowl. Cover and cook the noodles and meat for 12-15 min until the pasta is thoroughly cooked, be sure to mix a few times to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Once you know the pasta is cooked all the way, toss the whole bag of frozen veggies in, mix and cover for a few min.
- Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and avocado.
I’m intrigued! This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it
Try it and let us know!
This was delicious!! I had to sub gluten free pasta and dairy free cheese and it was still awesome. Definitely will go in my weekly rotation 🙂
Love when alternatives work out, so glad you loved it.
I made this tonight for my family, such a hit. I have three young kids and getting them to eat can be tricky but they loved this. 5/5 for our family and 5/5 for mom since it was so simple to use one pan!
Love that the whole family loves this, that’s a win win in our book!
I made this for dinner tonight & my family LOVED it! I used frozen white corn from Trader Joe’s and frozen red bell pepper from last year’s garden harvest. This will definitely be on the meal plan rotation in the future!
Love using what you have on had! Great Job!
LOVE one pot meals and this did not disappoint! The whole family had seconds (including the 10, 8, and 2 year old)! I used rotini noodles, 1/2 a bag of frozen onions and peppers, and added a can of black beans.
Amazing!! Love the additions, so glad everyone enjoyed it!