Taco Pasta Bake

Let’s talk cost.

This meal came in around $10 dollars.

For the most part, I’m not a brand snob. I’ve come to trust and rely on some store brands. Food Lion’s private label store brand definitely saves me money. Most of the products I happily stock up on (boxed pasta, sauces, beans, salsa, canned goods galore) save me around a whopping fifty percent off my grocery bill! Same quality as the name brands…just different label.

The other way to save money on groceries is to buy your meat & poultry on sale and in “family packs”. The biggest savings seem to be with ground beef & chicken breasts. Vacuum seal and freeze in portion amounts you cook with.

Want another tasty, simple & cheap dinner? Click here for my Kielbasa Chili Recipe!

Let’s Make Dinner

This is a super simple recipe.

It needs to be said and said often – dinner does not always need to be a major production. I certainly prefer feeding my family a quick & simple meal rather than grabbing fast food.

All we’re doing here is cooking some pasta, browning the ground beef, combining all the ingredients and baking.

That’s it.

Ingredients & Substitutions

A handful of simple ingredients come together quickly for a fun & tasty dinner any night of the week.

I toss in whatever ground meat is cheapest – be it beef, chicken or turkey. Or I use leftovers if I have them. Shredded chicken, pork, beef – they are delicious in this casserole!

Oh, this meal is great meatless as well. You can skip the meat and add an extra can of black beans & corn.

This meal can be easily dressed up with fresh produce…cilantro, avocado slices, dices tomatoes, shredded lettuce, guacamole…if it’s in the budget. It’s great either way!

Don’t forget to top it all off with a generous dollop of sour cream!

Hope you enjoy!

Amanda ♥