Description
Mexican Spaghetti combines a flavorful taco-seasoned ground beef sauce with a creamy cheese sauce tossed into spaghetti, baked with extra cheese, and garnished with fresh cilantro for a comforting and delicious Tex-Mex inspired dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce can enchilada sauce
Creamy Cheese Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 16 ounces spaghetti cooked according to package instructions
Topping/Garnish
- 1 ½ cups shredded Colby Jack cheese for topping
- Fresh cilantro chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the meat sauce: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until it starts to soften.
- Add bell pepper: Add the green bell pepper to the skillet and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Garlic addition: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Cook ground beef: Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain any excess fat.
- Season meat sauce: Season the beef with taco seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Simmer sauce: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and enchilada sauce. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then set aside.
- Make cheese sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook about 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour while whisking constantly to form a roux, cooking for 1 minute.
- Add milk and thicken: Slowly pour in milk while whisking to keep smooth. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until thickened.
- Add cheese: Stir in shredded Colby Jack cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine spaghetti and cheese sauce: Toss cooked spaghetti with the cheese sauce until evenly coated.
- Preheat oven and prepare casserole dish: Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Assemble casserole: Spread the creamy spaghetti mixture evenly into the casserole dish. Spoon the meat sauce over the top and spread evenly. Sprinkle 1 ½ cups shredded Colby Jack cheese over the meat sauce.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish and serve: Remove from oven, sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro, and serve hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a lighter version, use lean ground beef or substitute with ground turkey.
- You can substitute Colby Jack cheese with cheddar or Monterey Jack for similar flavor.
- Cook spaghetti just until al dente to avoid it becoming mushy after baking.
- Make sure to drain excess fat from the cooked beef to reduce greasiness.
- For extra spice, add chopped jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce to the meat sauce.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
