Spaghetti Taco Casserole

I made this for dinner and it was a total crowd-pleaser—everyone loved it! It’s officially earned a permanent spot in my meal rotation. Even better, there were plenty of leftovers, which means tomorrow’s dinner is already taken care of and I’m calling that a win.

This dish is incredibly flexible. You can easily swap the ground beef for shredded rotisserie chicken for a different spin. If you double the recipe, it comfortably fills two 9×13 baking dishes, making it great for feeding a group or stocking the fridge for the week.

Taco Spaghetti Bake

Ingredients

• Spaghetti — 1 lb
• Vegetable oil — 1 tablespoon
• Ground beef — 1 lb (or substitute shredded rotisserie chicken)
• Onion, finely chopped — 1
• Taco seasoning — 3 tablespoons
• Tomato paste — 1 tablespoon
• Canned tomatoes — 1 cup
• Beef broth — 1 cup
• Shredded cheddar cheese — 1 cup
• Tomato salsa — ½ cup (for topping)
• Fresh cilantro, thinly sliced — 1 tablespoon (for garnish)

Instructions

Step 1: Cook the Onion
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and translucent.

Step 2: Brown the Protein
Add the ground beef and cook for roughly 5 minutes, breaking it up as it browns. Stir in the taco seasoning and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute to deepen the flavor.

Step 3: Simmer the Sauce
Pour in the canned tomatoes and beef broth. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Step 4: Boil the Pasta
While the sauce simmers, cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water according to package directions (about 10 minutes). Drain thoroughly.

Step 5: Combine and Melt the Cheese
Toss the drained spaghetti with the beef sauce. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the top, cover the skillet, and allow the cheese to melt for about 2 minutes.

Step 6: Serve
Serve hot, topped with tomato salsa and fresh cilantro.