If you were wondering what to do with leftover taco meat on busy weeknights, then give this easy baked pasta casserole a try!  It’s an easy way to make a quick meal for the entire family and a simple way to use up that leftover ground beef from taco Tuesday!

For this easy leftover taco meat recipe you’ll just need a few cups of your favorite short pasta.  Any type of pasta will work such as macaroni, rotini, fusilli, pasta shells, or cavatapi pasta  The pasta is layered in a casserole dish with leftover flavorful taco meat creating a sort of beef taco pasta that bakes up hot with gooey melty cheese and tasty taco flavors.  

This hot and cheesy taco pasta recipe really does make an easy weeknight dinner for a crowd.  The best part of all? This taco casserole recipe with ground beef bakes up in one pot and it’s ready to go, hot out of the oven!

Simple Ingredients To Make an Easy Taco Pasta Recipe

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• 2 1/2 cups Short Pasta – cooked halfway in lightly salted water
• 2 1/2 cups Leftover Taco meat – I’m using cooked leftover ground beef taco meat I made using Spice Islands Taco Seasoning
• 1 14.5 oz Can diced tomatoes – juices and all
• 2 cups Shredded Mexican Style Cheese
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp seasoned Italian bred crumbs
• Non-Stick Spray
• Casserole Baking Dish – I used an 8 1/2 by 11 inch square casserole dish by Staub

Now, here’s how to make a cozy, hot, and easy taco casserole recipe with quick leftovers from taco night!

Make A Leftover Taco Meat Pasta Casserole By Adding Half-Cooked Pasta

To make this easy leftover taco meat pasta, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Assemble the casserole by adding in the half of the semi-cooked pasta as your first bottom layer.   Note: To make half-cooked pasta, drop it in a pot of boiling water (enough to cover pasta by 1 or 2 inches) and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, strain, and add to casserole dish.

​Add A Layer of Leftover Taco Meat To The Pasta

Top off the half-cooked pasta with 2 and 1/2 cups of leftover ground taco meat.

Add A Can of Diced Tomatoes To the Leftover Taco Meat Pasta  

Next, top the leftover taco meat with the can of diced tomatoes.  I used a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes and added them in, juices and all.  Be sure to spread the taco-seasoned ground beef and tomatoes around in an even layer so that they create a border that touches all around the casserole dish. This will help the toppings evenly coat the pasta evenly. 

Any pasta that is stuck up above the toppings and not coated will harden and dry out somewhat during baking in the oven.  It helps to keep everything juicy and moist when you take care to coat all the pieces of pasta with the meat and tomatoes layer.

​Add A Melty Cheese Layer To the Leftover Taco Meat Pasta Bake

Lastly, evenly sprinkle on the Mexican style shredded cheese over the meat and tomatoes layer.  Sprinkle the cheese on in an even layer so as to coat most all of the top of the casserole.  If Mexican style cheese isn’t available, use your favorite melty cheese such as shredded cheddar cheese or shredded monterey jack cheese.

Cover with a Greased Sheet of Foil to Prevent Sticking…

Lightly spray a sheet of aluminum foil with a bit of non-stick spray or brush with olive oil.  This is a quick step to help prevent cheese from sticking to the foil during cooking.  

Tightly wrap the casserole with foil and bake in a 375 F degree oven for 30 minutes or until juices are bubbling, everything is heated through, and cheese is evenly melted.  

The now tender pasta will have cooked the rest of the way through in the oven beneath the toppings.  When cook time is up, remove the casserole from the oven and remove the sheet of foil.

Make a Crumb Topping Layer and Brown in the Broiler

In this last step, combine the grated parmesan cheese plus bread crumbs in a small bowl and stir together.  Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over casserole and turn on the broiler.  Broil the taco casserole on high for 4 to 5 minutes or until the top cheese layer of the casserole is golden brown. 

*** Do not leave the stove area at this point.  Stay right nearby and remove promptly between 3 to 5 minutes. If you’re oven is fast, check the coloring on the toppings even sooner. This process happens quite quickly.  Set a timer for the short time, if necessary.

​Remove This Easy Taco Pasta Casserole From The Oven – Serve Hot!

Remove the leftover taco meat pasta casserole from the oven once browned and serve hot.  Additionally, you can add any of your favorite toppings like sour cream, spicy salsa, mild salsa, or even a tex-mex type salsa with corn and black beans.  

  Serve with a side of fresh steamed broccoli or simple roasted carrots.  

Keep this quick taco pasta bake on your list of easy dinner recipes and one pot meals to whip up in a pinch with simple leftovers (and things you’ll most likely have handy in the pantry). 

This is a great recipe and a go-to meal to make on cold winter nights the next time you just want to use what you have in house to get dinner on the table with no fuss!  If it’s leftover spaghetti meat you have on hand, try this simple leftover spaghetti casserole or this healthier roasted vegetable ratatouille casserole!

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