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Queso Taco Pasta Bake
Queso Taco Pasta Bake

Before you jump to Queso Taco Pasta Bake recipe, you may want to read this short interesting healthy tips about Use Food to Improve Your Mood.

For the most part, people have been trained to think that “comfort” foods are terrible for the body and should be avoided. At times, if your comfort food is basically candy or other junk foods, this holds true. Soemtimes, comfort foods can be perfectly healthy and good for us to eat. There are a number of foods that actually can improve your moods when you consume them. If you are feeling a little bit down and you’re in need of a happiness pick me up, try some of these.

Grains can be good for fighting a bad mood. Barley, millet, quinoa, etc are great at helping you feel better. They help you feel full also which can actually help to better your mood. Feeling starved can be a real downer! These grains can help your mood elevate as it’s not at all hard for your body to digest them. These foods are easier to digest than others which helps kick start a rise in your sugar levels which in turn kicks up your mood to a happier place.

So you see, you don’t need to eat junk food or foods that are terrible for you so you can feel better! Try some of these hints instead.

We hope you got insight from reading it, now let’s go back to queso taco pasta bake recipe. To cook queso taco pasta bake you need 17 ingredients and 12 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

The ingredients needed to make Queso Taco Pasta Bake:
  1. Use 8 oz. pasta (I used Radiatore, but any small shape works)
  2. Provide 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  3. You need 1/2 onion, diced
  4. Take 2 cloves garlic, minced
  5. Prepare 1/2 lb. ground beef
  6. Use 1 cup black beans (I used canned, drained and rinsed)
  7. Provide 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
  8. Get 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  9. Get 1 tsp. cumin
  10. You need to taste salt and pepper
  11. You need pinch cayenne pepper
  12. Use 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
  13. Provide 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  14. You need 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
  15. Use 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided (I use a mix of cheddars)
  16. Take 1/2 cup salsa (I used mild, but medium or hot would be good)
  17. You need chopped cilantro, for garnish
Steps to make Queso Taco Pasta Bake:
  1. Fill a large pot with water and add 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Place on burner with the heat on high and bring to a boil. At the same time, heat the remaining tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet.
  2. Once water reaches a boil, add your pasta and cook according to package directions, stirring occasionally. About the same time, add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent.
  3. Add the garlic to the skillet next and cook another minute or so, until fragrant. Then add the ground beef and cook until completely brown. Drain any excess grease, if needed.
  4. About this time, the pasta should be done. Drain the pasta and return to the pot, removed from the heat.
  5. Add the black beans and diced tomatoes to the skillet with the beef. Next stir in the seasonings. Remove from heat and scrape the meat and bean mix into the pot with the pasta. Stir lightly to mix.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an oven proof casserole dish and set aside.
  7. For the queso: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat. Once melted, add the flour a little at a time, whisking constantly as you add it to form a roux. Once all flour is added, allow the roux to simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
  8. Increase the heat to medium high and slowly begin to whisk in the broth, adding it slowly. Once all the broth is incorporated, allow to come to a simmer. Let simmer, whisking occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until thickened.
  9. Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Once it's all melted in, stir in the salsa.
  10. Stir the queso cheese sauce into the pot with the pasta and meat mix and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared casserole dish and top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
  11. Bake for 5 minutes, then set the oven to broil and broil for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese begins to turn golden and bubbly.
  12. Garnish with the chopped cilantro if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.

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