This savory, cheesy enchilada pasta is made in one pot for an easy weeknight dinner your family will love.
I have always been on board with easy weeknight dinners, but never more so than in this last year.
Our daughter is in kindergarten now and has started to get involved in activities, so some nights one of us is shuttling her to/from things like soccer or piano lessons while the other is getting dinner on the table.
Add in all of the other evening routine things and being exhausted from work and *waves generally at the state of the world* and…well, the desire to spend a lot of time on dinner is low these days.
Recipes like sheet pan sausage and veggies, quick and easy tortellini soup, homemade shells and cheese, and this one-pot enchilada pasta are honestly such lifesavers. A delicious meal that’s also easy to make? Sign me up.
Why you’ll love this enchilada pasta recipe
One-pot enchilada pasta is a must-make if you’re looking for quick and easy weeknight dinner recipes.
The whole thing comes together in one pot, so there’s not much cleanup involved. Plus, aside from chopping an onion and some bell pepper, most of the ingredients are pantry staples that require very little to no prep before they go in the pot.
It’s also quick, taking only about 40 minutes to make. That’s perfect for a weeknight when you’re exhausted or have other activities you need to get to.
And, of course, it’s delicious! This one is packed with flavor—no sad meals here. It’s also got a good amount of protein and fiber, so you really are getting what you need in one dish.
How to make my one-pot enchilada pasta
This recipe is so easy to make, even when you’re short on time and energy. I promise you that it’s going to go into your regular dinner rotation!
Ingredients you’ll need
We make a lot of Mexican and Tex-Mex meals around here, so a lot of the ingredients for this one-pot meal are things we try to keep on hand.
You’ll need:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 yellow or white onion
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ green bell pepper
- 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning
- 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles
- 2 (10-ounce) cans red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 ounces cream cheese or ¼ cup sour cream (optional)
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- Additional salt to taste
We try to buy low-sodium stock and canned goods when possible, that way we can control the amount of salt going into the recipe ourselves. Depending on the brands of taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, beans, and chicken stock you use, you may not need any additional salt.
This is why it’s always important to taste your food for seasoning before serving it!
If you don’t have elbow macaroni on hand, use 8 ounces of your favorite small shaped pasta, such as shells or rotini pasta.
You can use homemade enchilada sauce if you prefer! You’ll need a little over 2 cups of homemade sauce.
You can also use homemade taco seasoning if you don’t want to use a packet of seasoning. You’ll need about 3 tablespoons of homemade seasoning to equal a 1-ounce packet.
We use mild enchilada sauce, green chiles, and taco seasoning around here, but you can easily amp up the spice by using medium or hot versions of any of these ingredients.
Making this recipe
Grab a large, heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven. Over medium heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and bell peppers until the meat is browned and the onions start to soften.
If needed, drain the fat from the meat mixture and return it to the pot.
Add in the taco seasoning, stirring to coat the meat and vegetables. Add the dry pasta, drained and rinsed beans, corn, green chiles, enchilada sauce, and chicken stock.
Give everything a stir and increase the heat to medium-high. Cover the pot and bring the pasta to a boil.
Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
When the pasta is done, reduce the heat to low and add the cream cheese or sour cream and the shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Remove from the heat and let the enchilada pasta rest for about 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the sauce to tighten up a bit before digging in.
Recipe variations and substitutions
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey. If doing this, add about a tablespoon of oil to the pot before you add the meat, onions, and peppers.
- If you don’t have chicken stock on hand, beef stock will work fine, too.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the meat, double the amount of beans, and use vegetable broth or stock.
- Swap the Mexican blend cheese for shredded cheddar, monterey jack, or pepper jack cheese.
- Make the enchilada pasta spicier by using spicy taco seasoning, hot enchilada sauce, or hot green chiles. You can also add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce; El Chilito is my husband’s favorite Mexican hot sauce.
Serving suggestions
Listen, this one-pot enchilada pasta is great right out of the pot, no toppings added.
But also…why not go for it? Any toppings you’d enjoy on enchiladas, tacos, or nachos would be delicious here.
Some of our favorite toppings include:
- More shredded cheese
- Sour cream
- Pickled or fresh jalapeños
- Pickled red onion
- Diced avocado
- Diced fresh tomato
- Sliced black olives
One-Pot Enchilada Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 yellow or white onion diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ½ green bell pepper diced
- 1 packet taco seasoning 1 ounce (or 3 tablespoons homemade)
- 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni or other small shaped pasta
- 1 can black beans 15.25 ounces, drained and rinsed (no salt added preferred)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1 can diced green chiles 7 ounces
- 1 cans red enchilada sauce 10 ounces each
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 ounces cream cheese cut into cubes, or ¼ cup sour cream (optional)
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- Additional salt to taste
Optional toppings for serving:
- Additional shredded cheese
- Sour cream
- Sliced green onions
- Pickled or fresh jalapeños
- Pickled red onion
- Diced avocado
- Diced fresh tomato
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add the ground beef, diced onion, and diced peppers. Cook, breaking up the ground beef, until the meat is browned and cooked through and the onions are starting to soften.1 pound ground beef, 1 yellow or white onion, ½ red bell pepper, ½ green bell pepper
- If needed/desired, drain the fat and return the meat mixture to the pot.
- Add the taco seasoning, stirring to combine. Add the pasta, beans, corn, green chiles, enchilada sauce, and chicken stock. Stir to combine; increase the heat to medium-high, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through.1 packet taco seasoning, 8 ounces dry elbow macaroni, 1 can black beans, 1 cup fresh or frozen corn, 1 can diced green chiles, 1 cans red enchilada sauce, 2 cups chicken stock
- When the pasta is al dente, turn the heat to low and add the cream cheese or sour cream and shredded cheese, stirring until melted and well combined. Taste and add more salt as needed.2 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, Additional salt to taste
- Allow the pasta to rest for about 5 minutes before serving with your desired toppings.
Notes
- Depending on the brands of taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, and chicken stock that you use, you may or may not need additional salt. Be sure to taste the pasta before serving to decide if you need to adjust the seasoning.
- For a spicier version, feel free to use spicy taco seasoning, hot enchilada sauce, and/or hot green chiles. You can also add several dashes of your favorite Mexican hot sauce (El Chilito is a favorite in our house).