Taco Mac and Cheese!!

Robbie and I are trying to eat at home more. I am always on the search for a new recipe! Thanks to Pinterest, I can always find a ton! I stumbled upon this easy one for taco macaroni and cheese. I made it last night and we LOVED it! I wanted to share. It has a slight kick, and was super easy and quick. I think it took about 30 minutes to make start to finish. And it makes a TON! The three of us ate it, and then took some to a neighbor, and still had a lot left over for lunches.

Here's the recipe:
Taco Macaroni and Cheese (source: http://cassiecraves.blogspot.com/2011/07/taco-macaroni-and-cheese.html)
 
1 pound macaroni or shell pasta  
1 pound ground beef  
1 onion, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced  
1 packet of taco seasoning 

1 cup salsa  
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into chunks 
2 cups milk   
1/2 cup sour cream 
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
   
1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and sweat the onion together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the beef is completely cooked through, drain off excess fat, return to skillet, and add garlic. Cook and stir 30 seconds. Add taco seasoning and salsa and stir to combine; reduce heat to low.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add cream cheese, milk, and sour cream and stir to combine. Cook until cream cheese is melted and mixture is thick and bubbling. Stir in shredded cheese.
4. Add cheese sauce and ground beef mixture to pasta and stir to combine. Top each serving with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

We served it with peas, because they are actually a green veggie that William will eat!

We finished dinner so early, so we headed outside! All of our neighbors and their kids were outside, so William got some serious playtime in with Ella, Lucy, and Asher. We were just missing Maxx! ;) After everyone went inside, we took William around the loop for a bike ride. He loves his bike and especially loves to ring the bell on it. Tonight's dinner will be Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli - recipe to come!! ;)