Watch how pasta in a slow cooker leads to a Mexican-inspired dish that families love

Cooktop Cove: Watch how pasta in a slow cooker leads to a Mexican-inspired dish that families love

By Tracy Teel

In many households, Tuesday night is taco night. If you have a long day ahead of you, or you need to run some late-afternoon errands, let your slow cooker do the work instead.

Preparing this dish is really simple, but the flavors are excellent. So let's get cooking!

Easy one-pot taco pasta bake

Ingredients
1-lb ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons of taco seasoning
2 clove garlic, minced
1 can diced tomato, undrained
1 4-oz can diced green chiles
1/2 cup onion, diced
4-oz cream cheese
2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8-oz pasta (rottini)
fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Brown and drain ground beef.
2. Add beef, water, broth, taco seasoning, garlic, tomato, green chilies and onion into 4 or 5-quart slow cooker.
3. Cook on low 4-5 hours.
4. In last half hour, start cooking pasta according to package directions.
4. When slow cooker is done cooking, stir cream cheese into slow cooker until blended.
5. Add shredded cheese and pasta to slow cooker and mix well.
6. Leave uncovered on high for 10 more minutes.
7. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

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