little kitchie: mexican pasta bake

mexican food. pasta. two of my oldest and dearest friends.

and the other night, they met for the first time. and it was delicious.

i've been seeing recipes like this for a long time, but hadn't tried it out. i was skeptical. when i feel like making mexican food, i like to go traditional - enchiladas are one of my favorite things in the world to make (and eat). same goes for pasta. but after seeing some of my favorite blog girls blending the two (here and here), i decided to give it a go.

so glad i did. and that these two can be friends now.

mexican pasta bake
serves 4-6

you'll need:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tblspn. taco seasoning (i have a great organic, no-sodium blend from our farmer's market, but this is a great recipe for making your own at home!)
3 ounces cream cheese (i used fat-free)
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 small can chopped green chiles
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup monterrey jack cheese, shredded
12 oz. orecchiette pasta (about 3/4 of a standard package)
cilantro, for garnish

preheat oven to 400.

bring a well-salted pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. when finished, drain and reserve.

while pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. add onion and cook for 2 minutes. add beef and heat until crumbly and cooked through. add in garlic and stir through. next, add seasoning, cream cheese, enchilada sauce, green chiles, corn, and pepper jack cheese and mix until everything is completely combined and the cream cheese has melted evenly. finally, add in cooked pasta and stir until pasta is well-coated.

pour pasta mixture into a greased 8x8 baking dish. top with monterrey jack cheese. bake in oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

remove from oven and serve garnished with chopped cilantro (or whatever you like!). enjoy! xx