Who doesn’t love an easy Mac n Cheese recipe that is perfectly spiced and deliciously different? Cheesy Nacho Bake is the ultimate mac and cheese for Mexican food lovers. Loaded with taco seasoned ground beef, cheese, crushed tortilla chips, salsa, and pasta shells!
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Nacho Mac and Cheese
Ingredients Needed for this Cheesy Nacho Bake:
Full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post with ingredient amounts and directions
- Velveeta Shells and Cheese Dinner
- Ground Beef- or turkey
- Homemade Taco Seasoning– 1 package taco seasoning
- Sour Cream
- Cheddar Cheese- shredded
- Salsa
- Tortilla Chips- crushed
- Jalapenos- diced
How to make Nacho Mac N’ Cheese
- Cook macaroni according to package directions.
- While macaroni is cooking, cook beef/turkey in a skillet until no longer pink.
- Add taco seasoning to the meat and mix well.
- Stir sour cream into the cooked/prepared macaroni.
- Spoon half the macaroni mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish.
- Top with meat mixture, half the cheddar cheese, and remaining macaroni mixture.
- Cover baking dish with tin foil and place in preheated oven, 400, to bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove cover from dish and sprinkle remaining cheese, crushed tortilla chips, salsa, and jalapenos (if using).
- Place dish back into oven for an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove and serve!
Topping Suggestions
This tasty dish can be made with or without your favorite toppings, it will be delicious either way. Here are some fun ideas to try:
- Diced Green Chiles
- Black Olives
- Diced Avocado
- Tomatoes
- Chopped Bell Peppers
- Onions
- Hot Sauce
- Additional Salsa
- Shredded Pepperjack Cheese
- Chopped Green Onions
What to serve with Cheesy Nacho Bake
This shortcut meal includes pasta and meat, so feel free to serve on its own. If you want to add a few sides, here are a few tasty options:
- BEST EVER Refried Beans
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Easy Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
- Side Salad (I grab a salad kit from the store to keep things simple, try the Avocado Ranch Salad with this meal, its yummy)
Storage
This Nacho Bake is best enjoyed the day of! If you do have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave when ready to serve. Unfortunately, this does not freeze well as the pasta becomes mushy and the texture doesn’t maintain.
FAQ’s
Can I prep this ahead of time? Yes! I typically make this in the morning and simply pop into the oven come dinnertime. I don’t recommend making it the day beforehand however due to the creaminess and cheese absorbing into the pasta.
Do I have to use Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese? I personally enjoy the Velveeta in this dish; however, you can also use Kraft Macaroni and Cheese or HOMEMADE Macaroni!
How do I make this in a 9×13 baking pan? Use the 24 oz Velveeta Mac and Cheese in place of the 12 oz. You can double the rest of the ingredients as well and make as directed below.
Do I have to use beef in this recipe? You can use cooked, seasoned chicken in place of the ground beef if desired, it just changes the texture a bit! Same great flavor!
More Cheesy Recipes to try
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole– made with rice, chicken breasts, cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup, water, and seasonings. You will love this easy and delicious comfort food meal.
Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti– makes a rich and creamy easy weeknight dinner. It comes together quickly and is total comfort food loved by everyone!
The BEST Mac and Cheese Recipe– outrageously cheesy, ultra-creamy, and topped with a crunchy Panko-Parmesan topping, this mac and cheese recipe is most definitely a keeper.
Baked Cheesy Tortellini– a quick and easy minimal ingredient dinner that you’ll love keeping in your back pocket for a busy night!
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Nacho Mac N' Cheese Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz Velveeta Shells and Cheese Dinner
- 1 lb ground beef *or turkey
- 3 tablespoon taco seasoning
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup cheddar cheese *shredded
- ¾ cup salsa
- ½ cup tortilla chips *crushed
- toppings of choice (jalapenos, peppers, onions, etc)
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions.
- While macaroni is cooking, cook beef/turkey in a skillet until no longer pink.
- Add taco seasoning to the meat and mix well.
- Stir sour cream into the cooked/prepared macaroni.
- Spoon half the macaroni mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish.
- Top with meat mixture, half the cheddar cheese, and remaining macaroni mixture.
- Cover baking dish with tin foil and place in preheated oven, 400, to bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove cover from dish and sprinkle remaining cheese, crushed tortilla chips, salsa, and jalapenos (if using).
- Place dish back into oven for an additional 5-10 minutes. Serve!
Nutrition
Trudy Hurd says
Need some new favorites–dinner has gotten so boring!!
Kristin says
Hope you enjoy this!!!! 🙂