Meal #3 - Taco Pasta

For meal #3 of my Aldi 25 Experiment we had Taco Pasta with broccoli and salad.

Here's the tally:
Ground Beef - $3.49
Diced Tomatoes with Chilies - $0.59
Shells & Cheese - $1.29
Tomato Soup - $0.59
Black Beans - $0.31
Corn - $0.11
Onion - $0.09
Broccoli - $0.99
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$7.46 for 6 servings ($1.24 per serving)

Taco Pasta

1 pound ground beef
¼ cup onion, diced
1 box shells & cheese pasta mix (Velveeta brand, for example)
1 can tomato soup
1 can Ro-Tel, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon taco seasoning (low-sodium preferably)
½ cup frozen corn

Brown ground beef and drain off excess fat.  Add onions and cook until onions are tender.

Meanwhile in a separate bowl, combine cheese from pasta mix, can of soup, can of tomatoes, can of green chilies, black beans, taco seasoning and 2 cups water.  Stir well to combine.

Add soup mix and pasta to meat.  Mix thoroughly.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring often.

Towards the end of the cooking time add the corn and heat through.  If the pasta is cooked but the sauce is too runny remove from heat and let stand until thickened.

Serve with taco sauce and sour cream to kick it up or down, depending on heat sensitivity.

Click HERE for a printable version of this recipe.