This easy, cheesy, creamy, Taco Spaghetti Recipe is a dish to totally die for! What's not to love about this simple Tex-Mex meal?!! This family favorite meal will even bring your picky eaters back for seconds!
Love this? Next time try Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
You'll love it because your whole family will gobble it up! And I mean the entire family. You won't be fighting your way through dinner and everyone will be begging for seconds!
It's perfect for taco night and a great twist on your ordinary tacos and traditional spaghetti!
🗒️ Ingredients
You'll only need a handful of simple ingredients for the taco spaghetti bake. For the exact measurements, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- pound of ground beef - ground chicken or turkey will also work! I haven't tried sausage, but I think that would be really good as well.
- uncooked spaghetti noodles - you can use any noodles you have in your pantry; penne, linguine, elbow or even twisty rotini. Use that pantry!
- a packet of taco seasoning - or make your own taco seasoning!
- cream of chicken soup - you can substitute with cream of celery or mushroom, really any cream soup. Personally, I prefer cream of chicken.
- cheddar cheese soup - Queso would work great and give this dish even more Tex-Mex flavor. Velveeta cheese or cream cheese is a great substitute as well.
- evaporated milk - heavy cream, half and half or whole milk would be a good substitute.
- cheese - I used Colby Jack but you can use cheddar, mozzarella, Mexican cheese blend, mozzarella cheese, really whatever you'd prefer. Pre-shredded cheese won't melt as well, but it will still taste yummy!
- one medium yellow onion, red or white onion.
- Rotel diced tomatoes - if you can't find Rotel use a can of fire roasted tomatoes with a tablespoon of canned diced green chiles. Salsa would be a great substitute as well.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Preheat the oven, spritz casserole dish with non-stick spray for easy clean up.
- Cook beef and onions, add taco seasoning and cook the spaghetti to al dente in a large pot of boiling water.
- Add in the cream of chicken, cheddar cheese soup and Rotel to the taco meat.
- Simmer the sauce and meat mixture on the stove for just a couple minutes, mixing it together well.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the meat sauce.
- Mix everything together well.
- Place the spaghetti mixture in the prepared casserole dish, top with cheese and bake until hot and bubbly!
YouTube Video
Click on the image to watch this fun video and see me make this recipe from start to finish with extra tips! (Taco Spaghetti Video opens in a new tab).
🙋♀️ FAQ's
I think this is the most asked question! Of course I wouldn't put this recipe on the blog unless it was delicious, but seriously - it's fabulous. It's the perfect combination of creamy and cheesy. The amount of spice is just right and everyone loves this meal!
Actually no! If you don't have the time to put this in the oven. Mix the spaghetti with the sauce well and simmer for about five minutes on the stove over low heat. Remove from the heat. Top with cheese, add the lid and allow the cheese to completely melt. Serve and enjoy!
Absolutely! Save yourself some time on those days you don't feel like cooking or split the casserole for a smaller family and place half in the freezer.
👍 Tips
- To get the golden brown crust on top of this Creamy Taco Spaghetti, broil the casserole for 3-4 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!
- Don't forget to spritz the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, it makes for easy clean-up!
Best tip? Don't overcook the pasta! Because it will finish cooking in the oven.
Storage
Allow to cool completely and store leftovers in an airtight container, covered in the refrigerator. It will keep 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second increments until hot. Or bake until warm and bubbly.
This dish freezes great. Place leftovers in a sealed container and freeze up to three months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
Variations
Do you prefer a spicier version - include several shakes of your favorite hot sauce. Trust me, this will just get yummier! (Is that a word?... Well it is in my book! 😋)
You can stretch this meal even further by adding;
- black beans
- corn (frozen or canned will work. If you use canned be sure to drain it well)
- sliced black olives
- diced tomatoes
- onions
Season with pickled jalapeños, red pepper flakes, chili powder, cayenne or green chilies for a little heat! Serve the casserole with a spoonful of your favorite salsa - yum!
You can easily make this a one-pot meal by cooking and draining the pasta, then the meat mixture. Combine the ingredients and top with extra cheese for that big cheesy stretch!
Related recipes
If you're in charge of dinner then casseroles are King! Like this great recipe for beef noodle casserole - YUM! Or Taco Stuffed Shells. Here are more of our favorite easy recipes the whole family will enjoy!
- If you love this recipe, be sure to try the Taco Salad Casserole next!
- I love the beefy pepper combination of this Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole - better than stuffing the peppers because you save time by omitting all the fussy prep!
- One of my favorite cheesy pasta recipes is Monterey Chicken Spaghetti - so good!
- Super delicious Chicken and Broccoli Pasta - just like Cheesecake Factory - so yummy!!!
- Chicken Divan has tender, juicy chicken, broccoli all wrapped in a cheesy sauce!
- This Cowboy Casserole is stuffed with beef and topped with tater tots and cheese - what's not to love?!!!
- Salisbury Steak - this classic favorite has rich brown gravy and only five ingredients!
- This old fashioned tuna and noodle casserole has always been one of my favorites. Another great dish that's creamy, cheesy and delicious!
Serve with
You're going to love how easy this Mexican casserole is to make!
Start your meal by making this easy refried bean dip recipe. It's so simple and would be a great appetizer if you're serving a crowd.
Then make a garden salad to go along with the Mexican spaghetti casserole - yum, what a great combination! You could also make a big taco salad to serve alongside.
Some pan-fried vegetables would complement the meal as well.
Warm tortillas to pass would be yummy as well. I'm telling you even your picky eater will gobble up this meal!
For dessert make a batch of Strawberry Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies - these are easy to make and so good! Leftover cookies (is that possible?!!) can be enjoyed throughout the week!
Taco Spaghetti Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef can substitute ground turkey or chicken
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles broken into thirds
- 10.5 ounce cream of chicken soup
- 10.5 ounce cheddar cheese soup
- 12 ounce evaporated milk
- 10 ounce Rotel do not drain
- 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- optional garnishes are your favorite taco toppings! sour cream, thinly sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, olives
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 9x13 casserole dish by spraying with non-stick coating, set aside.
- Break spaghetti into thirds. Cook the spaghetti in a large stockpot to al dente, drain well.
- While pasta cooks, brown ground beef and onions together over medium heat in a large skillet. Drain fat if necessary, add the taco seasoning mix and stir to combine.
- Add the cream of chicken, cheddar cheese soup, evaporated milk and Rotel tomatoes to the seasoned ground beef mixture. Simmer the sauce together on the stove for just a couple minutes, mixing it together well.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and half the shredded cheese. Mix everything together well.
- Spoon the cheesy spaghetti into the baking dish, top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly.
- If desired broil for 3-4 minutes to brown the top of the casserole.
Christina
I couldn’t believe how incredibly good this turned out! I followed the recipe exactly as written except couldn’t find a can of cheese soup anywhere so used most of a 15 oz. jar of generic brand dip for nachos that I found at Food 4 Less/Kroger’s in its place. I’m looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow and there’s enough left to freeze for another meal next month. A definite keeper recipe!!
Julie
My family love this. Thanks for sharing.
Bowl Me Over
Thanks Julie - we love this Taco Spaghetti Recipe, I'm glad it's a hit with your family!!
Beth
What's the purpose of using evaporated milk over regular milk?
Bowl Me Over
The evaporated milk is creamier than regular milk.
Sheila
Loved this recipe! Thank you so much for posting.
Bowl Me Over
Wonderful, that Taco Spaghetti recipe is to die for, just so yummy! Glad it was a hit!
Kylie
I make this all the time in my house . Everyone loves it !! So glad I came across this easy but delicious recipe !!
Bowl Me Over
Thanks Kylie, it's a keeper, we love it too!
Mitchell
So I can use regular milk?
Bowl Me Over
You can Mitchell, I'd use whole milk or half n half. I like evaporated milk because it's creamier. This Taco Spaghetti Casserole is so yummy, enjoy!
ColleenB.~Tx.
Looks so delicious that I will be making this later in the week.
Thank You for providing us with some wonderful looking dishes to try.
It does get boring at times with me preparing hubby's favorite dishes all the time. I think the only thing that I would change is the ground beef and use Italian sausage or pork sausage in place of.
Enjoy your day and have a wonderful week.
'Today Is A Good Day To Have A Good Day.'
Bowl Me Over
That will be super delicious Colleen - enjoy the casserole and you have a fabulous day as well!
Tami
My whole family loves this recipe and I can't believe it! They're all picky eaters but when it came down to it they were all asking for seconds!! Thank you for the recipe!!❤️❤️
Bettina
Could you use velveeta in this recipe? Thank you
Bowl Me Over
Hey Bettina! Yes you could substitute one cup of velveeta for half the cheese for the sauce portion. I'm sure that would make it even creamier. I would still top with one cup of shredded cheese because I really love that crust on the top of the casserole. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the casserole!!
Fran
Amazing !!
Bowl Me Over
Thanks Fran, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It's a favorite!