#1,745: Taco Pasta Bake

Here is a simple casserole that my family loved for dinner recently!  It was super simple to make and it's a great recipe to use especially if you have some leftover taco meat, or if you just double the amount of taco meat you are preparing so you have it ready for a dish like this.  My family was a big fan of this recipe so we will definitely be making this one again. 

1 box of large noodle pasta such as ziti
1 lb of ground beef
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1 cup water
1/2 pkg of cream cheese (about 4oz)
1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Boil pasta until just cooked (al dente), drain.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef and crumble.  Add taco seasoning and water with the ground beef and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced. 

Add the cream cheese to the beef mixture, stir until melted and combined, remove from heat.  Mix in the pasta.   Place in a lightly sprayed/oiled 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle on the shredded cheese. 

Bake at 350 uncovered for approximately 30 minutes.