One Pot Taco Spaghetti
The flavours in this one pot taco spaghetti are incredible! What could be better than a freezer meal that’s also a one pot recipe?!
Pasta is always a great option when you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner idea to serve your family. But serving plain spaghetti week after week can get boring fast! With the help of this easy one pot taco spaghetti recipe, your family can enjoy a flavourful pasta dinner with just a few minutes of prep work. But the best part about this simple recipe is that you can make it ahead of time to speed up the cooking process even more.
Make ahead pasta recipes are total comfort food for me. I often make our classic spaghetti sauce when I make freezer meals, but I also like to infuse Mexican flavours into our pastas like our Mexican Manicotti Bake, so I’ve been wanting to try a taco spaghetti of some kind for awhile. This recipe did not disappoint. It will be one that we make again and again!
One Pot Taco Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef, browned
- 1/2 cup onion, finely minced
- 4 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 10 ounces Rotel
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
For day of cooking:
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles, uncooked
- 3 cups water
Freezing Instructions:
- Add the browned ground beef, chopped onions, taco seasoning, and can of Rotel to a large resealable freezer bag. Seal the bag, leaving a small opening in the corner. Remove excess air from the bag and seal it completely.
- Put the shredded cheese in a medium freezer bag and seal the bag. Staple the two bags together above the seal.
- Place the bags flat in the freezer and store until you’re ready to eat.
Serving Instructions:
- Transfer the taco meat mixture to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- When you’re ready to start cooking, place the contents of the bag, water, and uncooked spaghetti noodles into a very large flat-bottomed skillet. Cook over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan. Allow the ingredients to simmer for 15 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has reduced.
- When the pasta is cooked through, remove the lid from the pan and sprinkle with cheese. Stir to melt the cheese into the pasta and serve immediately.
Can You Freeze Taco Spaghetti?
This one pot recipe is perfect for freezer cooking! That’s because you can prepare most of the recipe ahead of time and heat it up when you’re ready to serve your dinner.
The best way to freeze taco spaghetti is to compile all the ingredients in the recipe, leaving the pasta and water out. Add the sauce and meat ingredients to a freezer-friendly bag or container and store the mixture in the freezer until you’re ready to prepare it.
On cooking day, combine the sauce ingredients with the pasta and water in a pot and cook everything together.
While most of the ingredients in this taco spaghetti recipe are freezer friendly, it’s best to cook the pasta on the day you plan on serving your dinner. That’s because spaghetti noodles can become mushy and get stuck together when they’re stored in the freezer. Plus, adding them on the day of cooking adds to the one-pot fun!
How Long is Taco Spaghetti Good for in the Freezer?
After freezing your taco spaghetti ingredients, the mixture will stay good in the freezer for up to four months. Make sure to store your ingredients in an air-tight container or freezer bag and remove as much excess air from the bag as possible.
Before placing the container in the freezer, take the time to write the name of the recipe on the bag, along with the date you freeze it and the expected expiration date.
To safely thaw your frozen taco ingredients, transfer the container to the refrigerator the day before you plan to cook it. This will give the ingredients time to unfreeze at a safe temperature.
One Pot Taco Spaghetti Recipe Variations
Since this freezer friendly recipe is so easy to make, it’s also simple to customize! Try these recipe substitution ideas to create a delicious dinner that’s perfect for your family.
- Use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef. To reduce the fat content in your taco spaghetti, try replacing the ground beef with ground turkey or chicken instead. You can use the same amount of ground turkey or chicken in place of ground beef and prepare the recipe as written.
- Add some peppers. Do you prefer to eat spicy tacos? Try mixing some peppers into your ground beef as you’re cooking it to take the spice level up a notch. You can mix in some chopped jalapeños, poblano peppers, or diced chilies to the meat to increase the spiciness in your taco spaghetti. Alternately, you can sprinkle it with red chili flakes before serving.
- Mix in more cheese. Add more flavour and creaminess to your spaghetti with the help of more cheese. Mixing in some cream cheese or Velveeta after the pasta is cooked is a great way to make your taco sauce thicker and creamier.
- Add some toppings. Another simple way to enhance the flavour of your taco spaghetti is with a few toppings. Sprinkling some chopped green onion or fresh cilantro over the top of your pasta will add to the Mexican flavours. Or add some creaminess with a dollop of sour cream over the top of your dinner.
- 1 lb. ground beef browned
- 1/2 cup onion finely minced
- 4 Tbsp. taco seasoning
- 10 oz. Rotel
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles uncooked
- 3 cups water
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Add the browned ground beef, chopped onions, taco seasoning, and can of Rotel to a large resealable freezer bag. Seal and remove excess air.
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Put the shredded cheese in a medium freezer bag and seal the bag. Staple the two bags together above the seal.
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Freeze.
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Thaw.
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When you’re ready to start cooking, place the contents of the large bag, water, and uncooked spaghetti noodles into a very large flat-bottomed skillet. Cook over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
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Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan. Allow the ingredients to simmer for 15 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has reduced.
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When the pasta is cooked through, remove the lid and sprinkle with cheese. Stir to melt the cheese into the pasta and serve immediately.
