Taco Mac and Cheese combines two favorite comfort foods into one satisfying dish. Below is an easy oven-baked mac and cheese recipe with taco-style toppings for a fun weeknight meal.
My family loves both tacos and mac and cheese, so putting them together felt like a no-brainer. The result is creamy, cheesy macaroni topped with seasoned taco meat and the fresh, crunchy toppings you enjoy on tacos. You can make this from scratch with the baked mac and cheese recipe below, or speed things up with a boxed mac and cheese—either way it’s a crowd-pleaser.
How to Make Taco Mac and Cheese
Start with your preferred mac and cheese base. If you want the full recipe experience, use the oven-baked method provided below. For a quicker version, prepare boxed mac and cheese and then layer on taco toppings. Once the mac and cheese is ready, top it with:
- seasoned ground beef (or substitute ground turkey or veggie crumbles)
- chopped tomatoes
- fresh chopped jalapeño
- extra shredded cheese
- sour cream
- crunchy corn chips or Fritos
Kitchen Tips
- If you prefer convenience, boxed mac and cheese works well and shortens prep time.
- To make the homemade mac and cheese extra smooth, blend the cottage cheese and half-and-half mixture until silky before combining with the pasta.
- Try smoked Gouda with cheddar for a deeper, slightly smoky flavor.
- Swap ground beef for ground turkey or a plant-based crumble for a lighter option.
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Taco Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz macaroni
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 cups half and half
- 8 oz smoked Gouda, grated
- 8 oz medium cheddar, grated
- 2 tsp yellow mustard
- 2 tsp hot sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 envelope taco seasoning
- favorite taco toppings (tomato, jalapeño, sour cream, chips, etc.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease an 8-cup (or larger) baking dish with the softened butter and set aside.
- Combine the shredded Gouda and cheddar. Reserve about 1 cup of the shredded cheese, cover and chill until needed.
- In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, half and half, the remaining shredded cheeses (about 3 cups), salt, mustard and hot sauce. Blend until smooth.
- Stir the blended mixture into the uncooked pasta, then pour everything into the prepared baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Remove from oven, remove foil, stir well and top with the reserved 1 cup shredded cheese.
- Increase oven temperature to 400°F and return the dish to the oven for 10–20 minutes, until the top is bubbling and lightly browned.
- While the mac and cheese bakes, cook and season the ground beef with taco seasoning and prepare your chosen taco toppings.
- Serve the baked mac and cheese topped with the taco meat and fresh toppings.
Video
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 38 g
| Protein: 46 g
| Fat: 42 g
More Taco Recipes
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos
- Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos
- Ground Pork Tacos
- Short Rib Tacos
- Mini Tacos