Skillet Taco Mac-n-Cheese

Because I love tacos and because I love mac-n-cheese, I combined the two.

This 30-minute one pot skillet meal is yummy and delicious!

The kids have been back to school for a couple weeks now, but I still feel like we are a bit on Christmas break hangover.

Between late starts {lovely Iowa winter weather}, random days off for teacher in-service days and the kids still feeling entitled to eating like it's Christmas dinner for every meal, my patience has been thin and emotions have been running high.  Plus, when temps are hovering around zero, we're all couped up and walking all over each other.  It's really quite fun.

Since the indulgence of the holidays, I've been trying to keep meals simple, easy and relatively healthy.  We've eaten a lot of taco salads, grilled meats and veggies and brothy soups.  I've enjoyed it immensely.  I think after about two weeks of it the kids were starting to hate me.

My oldest gave me a pouty look one afternoon after school asking what was for dinner.  Honestly, I had no idea, other than I had one pound of leftover taco meat from the night before staring back at me in the fridge.

He asked for mac-n-cheese.

Again, I had taco meat.

Light blub.

Taco Mac-n-Cheese it is.

When I make my homemade macaroni at home, I often so a one pot skillet version where the noodles cook right in the milk and water and no draining is involved.  It's genius really.  Less dishes for me to wash and it makes the creamiest sauce you'd ever imagine.

So that is what I made that night for dinner.  I appeased myself using up leftovers and I delighted my eight year old by announcing mac-n-cheese was for dinner.

The family gobbled this stuff up.  Imagine a gourmet version of Hamburger Helper {you know that stuff we lived on in college?}.  I got all fancy and sprinkled on extra salsa, tomatoes and shredded lettuce, but you could certainly leave it plain if that's your thing.

And guess what?  To reheat, simply add a splash of milk.  It brings the creamy cheese sauce back together again and does not taste like a leftover at all.

Do me a favor, if you try this one, let me know!  I'd love to hear your comments or see you pinning it on Pinterest.  Better yet, show me on Instagram and tag it #sweetsavoryeats. 

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Yield: 6-8 servingsAuthor: Ally

Skillet Taco Mac-n-Cheese

All the flavors of a taco...in mac-n-cheese! Double bonus, it's a one pot meal and comes together in 30 minutes.

prep time: 5 MINScook time: 20 MINStotal time: 25 mins

ingredients:

• 1 lb. taco meat
• 2 cups 2% milk + additional 1/2 cup
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups shredded Colby cheese
• 1 T. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 chopped tomato
• shredded lettuce (optional)
• salsa (optional)
• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1 T. dijon mustard

instructions

1. Heat a large rimmed skillet to medium-high heat.  Pour in 2 cups of the milk and the 1 cup of water.
2. Add in the salt and macaroni.  Continue to stir the macaroni in the milk/water/salt mixture, being careful to not let it stick to the bottom.  Bring mixture to a low boil.  As the macaroni cooks, the liquid will thicken and make a creamy sauce.  This takes about 10 minutes.
3. Once the liquid has evaporated by half and the macaroni is cooked, add in the dijon mustard and additional 1/2 cup of milk.  Continue to stir.
4. Add in shredded cheese, stirring to melt.
5. Finally add in the taco meat to heat through.
6. Serve warm, straight out of the skillet, topping with additional tomatoes, salsa and lettuce (optional).

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