Want a way to spice up your Taco Tuesday? Make a Taco Tuesday Casserole! Really, it is just using egg noodles instead of tortillas. We still had refried beans, and guacamole, and Greek yogurt. The only thing you will be missing is your children touching all of the food on the table. So totally a win-win, am I right?! Especially during cold and flu season, not having fingers in the food bowls is so important.
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Published October 7, 2021
Updated March 16, 2022
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Taco Tuesday Routine
Each week when we plan our budget, Tuesday is always for Tacos. Whether it is for nachos or enchiladas or tacos, we just always have tacos on Tuesday. Our kids love having the stability of knowing we are having a taco-type meal each week. Kids actually love stability. The unknown is foreign to kids and consistency is key with littles and making a good routine. On the weeks when I mix up meals and we end up not having tacos on Tuesday, they actually are thrown and not really liking having a different meal.
Why this recipe works
Lately I have been making homemade corn tortillas and I just did not have the energy to make them for dinner. Having a bag of egg noodles in the pantry was such a relief because I was then able to make dinner. Even if I considered this a “cheat meal“. I love having traditional tacos, but honestly it was nice to mix it up with a casserole. Not having the same meal every week keeps it fresh and not the same every week.
As a result, making a taco casserole turned out to be very easy. Cook the meat with seasoning, and when it is browned, mix the cooked meat with the cooked pasta and refried beans. Once a month I make refried beans in a Crock-Pot and that gives us many weeks’ worth for cheaper than buying a can! Check out my blog post for my Refried Beans Recipe.
Cost breakdown for the taco casserole
This taco casserole recipe was no more expensive than doing regular tacos with tortillas, even with using a bag of egg noodles, the cost was parallel to buying tortillas. But just by replacing tortillas with egg noodles, you can then create an entirely new recipe.
2 pounds beef $10.45
refried beans $0.60
guacamole $1.64
canned tomatoes $0.75
olives $0.25
tomatoes $0.60
lettuce $0.30
cheddar $2.05
sweet peppers $0.20
Greek Yogurt $0.60
Salsa $0.10
egg noodles $1.25
Total cost for this recipe was $18.79!
That may seem a lot, but honestly the meat was $10 alone. I cannot believe the cost of ground beef lately! I might have to make a change… For example, maybe I can find a cheaper type like pork sausage or turkey, I will keep you posted as to my findings!
However, the cost, this meal came to $2.34 a serving as Tyler and I both had quite a bit for lunch the next day.
Taco Tuesday Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
2 pounds beef
refried beans
guacamole
1 can diced tomatoes
6 whole olives
cherry tomatoes
2 sweet peppers
lettuce
cheddar
Greek Yogurt
Salsa
16-oz egg noodles
Directions
1. Fill a 6-Quart pot with water and set on the stove to boil.
2. Warm a large pan to medium heat and then spray with a non-stick spray.
3. In the pan, cook the beef to brown it.
4. When the meat is browned and cooked, add 2-3 Tablespoons taco seasoning and 2-3 Tablespoons water, then stir to combine.
Additionally, you can add a can of diced tomatoes to the beef, as adding the canned tomatoes gives the meat a little more moisture and keeps the whole casserole from drying out.
5. Boil the pasta according to package directions.
6. When the pasta is cooked, drain in a sink colander.
7. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with non-stick spray and then place cooked noodles into the pan.
8. Spread the refried beans onto the pasta and stir well. Check out my blog HERE for my refried beans recipe. I love making refried beans from scratch because the cost of making 6 servings is a fraction of buying can after can of refried beans. This recipe is also great when frozen so it lasts quite a while.
9. Carefully lay the cooked taco flavored meat onto the pasta in the prepared baking dish.
10. In a food processor, dice tomatoes, olives and sweet peppers, then scoop them out of the bowl and spread onto the meat. I had only had this mixture on half as some of our littles would not have liked some of the ingredients. You could add onion, green onion, jalapenos or any other vegetable you love with tacos.
11. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese onto the meat.
12. Bake the Taco Tuesday Casserole at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Finally, serve with shredded lettuce, guacamole, salsa, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and enjoy!
~Monica
Taco Tuesday Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
2 pounds beef
refried beans
guacamole
1 can diced tomatoes
6 whole olives
tomatoes
lettuce
cheddar
Greek Yogurt
Salsa
16-oz egg noodles
Directions for Taco Casserole
1. Fill a 6-Quart pot with water and then set on the stove to boil.
2. Warm a large saucepan to medium heat and then spray with a non-stick spray.
3. In the pan, cook the beef to brown it.
4. When the meat is browned and cooked, add 2-3 Tablespoons taco seasoning and 2-3 Tablespoons water, then stir to combine.
5. Boil the pasta according to package directions.
6. When the pasta is cooked, drain in a sink colander.
7. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with non-stick spray and then place the cooked noodles into the pan.
8. Spread the refried beans onto the pasta and then stir well.
9. Then carefully lay the cooked taco flavored meat onto the pasta.
10. In a food processor, dice tomatoes, olives and sweet peppers, then scoop them out of the bowl onto the meat.
11. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese onto the meat.
12. Bake the Taco Tuesday Casserole at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Finally, serve with shredded lettuce, guacamole, salsa, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and enjoy!
~Monica
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