Copycat Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper

Homemade taco hamburger helper in skillet is here. Add cheese for a family favorite taco cheeseburger helper recipe we make on the stove. Quick, cheap, one pot meal with elbow macaroni and ground beef your kids will love.

Hamburger Helper Crunchy Taco

One of our favorite tweaks on a meal you likely ate a lot as a child is here. We will show you how to make it in a pan here but you can follow our Crockpot Hamburger Helper step by step if you would rather prep it in the morning and let it cook all day.

For a pressure cooker version you can try our Ninja Foodi Taco Pasta which is out of this world incredible. We typically add a few different types of cheese into that one so it is super ooey gooey with cheddar, Monterey Jack and some mozzarella.

Hamburger Helper Taco

If you have leftover Air Fryer Taco Meat from the night before you can use that and skip the sauteing step to brown. This is a great recipe with just about any precooked meat for that matter. Spicy ground sausage from Jimmy Dean is another choice of protein if you want this to have some heat to it.

• 1 lb. ground beef ground sausage, or half and half
• 8 oz. elbow macaroni
• 1 packet or make homemade taco seasoning 1 oz.
• Corn kernels, 10 oz. drained
• Rotel 10 oz. (or diced tomatoes)
• Red onion diced
• Water
• 1 c beef broth or water
• Shredded cheddar cheese for a cheesy taco style

If you have ever made a Hamburger HotDish before you know how well this saves to reheat for the next day too right? I might almost admit is is sometimes even better the next day. With a bit more shredded cheddar and chopped cilantro on the top + salsa when heated again in the microwave makes a great lunch when I am working from home.

When served to my kids it is fun to have a few tortilla chips on the side of the plate so they can scoop it up that way. Makes it more of a crunchy taco hamburger helper style of a dish that way.

Mexican Hamburger Helper

Yes we love taco Tuesdays but that does get boring after a while. Instead it is nice to change things up over the month. Use some of the same ingredients but in a new and exciting way. Keeps dinnertime fun especially when you have kids. For one with breading instead of pasta, our Jiffy Taco Cornbread Casserole is another fave.

You can use roasted Rotel for a bit of heat or use mild with some diced jalapenos or red pepper flakes to make this spicy if you like. It is super easy to modify depending on your tastebuds. Or skip that entirely Hamburger Mac and Cheese.

• In a large/deep skillet, begin to saute the ground beef and chopped onion over medium high heat. 
• Once the meat is browned, stir in the taco seasoning. 
• Continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add drained can of corn, Rotel, uncooked macaroni noodles and water/broth to the skillet. 
• Stir to combine, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat.
• Continue to simmer for 10-12 minutes cooking time, or until the pasta is cooked.
• Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, and avocado slices.

Takes about 20 minutes or so to make this cheap satisfying meal you will surely make over and over again. This is just one tweak on an otherwise Old Fashioned meal too. You can use the same type of beef but with egg noodles and a creamier sauce like we did in our Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff.

Hamburger Helper with Taco Seasoning

You can use regular cheddar, dairy free shreds or something else like we did in our Velveeta Hamburger Helper. OR leave that ingredient out all together.

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