Cheesy Salsa Mac

Name: Cheesy Salsa Mac
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef (80% lean); 2 cups fresh salsa; 1 teaspoon taco seasoning mix; ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 ½ cups hot water; 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni; 1 cup milk; 1 (8 ounce) package processed cheese food (such as Velveeta®), cut into cubes; 4 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Rating: 4.56 stars

18 Ratings
19 Reviews
3 Photos

Cheesy skillet pasta with ground beef. Use hot salsa for a nice kick.

By shackbart

Gallery

Recipe Summary test

prep:

10 mins

cook:

30 mins

total:

40 mins

Servings:

Yield:

6 servings

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 6 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

1 pound ground beef (80% lean)
2 cups fresh salsa
1 teaspoon taco seasoning mix
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ cups hot water
1 ½ cups elbow macaroni
1 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package processed cheese food (such as Velveeta®), cut into cubes
4 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

Step 1
Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.

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Step 2
Return skillet to heat. Stir salsa, taco seasoning mix, and black pepper into the beef; simmer the mixture until hot, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Stir water, macaroni, and milk into the beef mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, place a cover on the skillet, and simmer the mixture until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.
Step 4
Stir cheese food and Cheddar cheese into the pasta mixture; cook until the cheese melts completely, 5 to 7 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

487 calories; protein 32.1g; carbohydrates 30.4g; fat 26.2g; cholesterol 102.5mg; sodium 1209.5mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (19)

Most helpful positive review

katie

10/04/2018

Pretty good! Not great but I'll try to make again for my son and I. Followed this recipe and it makes a ton! I didn't add as much cheese though cause I don't like a lot of cheese. Can't believe I didn't have veggies in my house while I cooked this cause mixing can of corn onions and or bell peppers is a good idea!! Read More

Helpful

(2)

18 Ratings

5 star values: 11
4 star values: 6
3 star values: 1
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

katie

10/04/2018

Helpful

(2)

Kassilynn

10/13/2018

I had to use store-bought salsa, and chose to use extra shredded cheese instead of the processed cheese food that I don't like and it still turned out awesome! I would definitely make this again!!! Read More

Helpful

(2)

Janet Mease

03/11/2018

Needs a little more "kick"... I'll add some hot sauce next time I make it. I'm not a fan of "cheese food," so I used a Mexican mix shredded cheese to replace it. That worked great! I'm feeding 5 and a few of them have pretty big appetites (weight lifters and martial artists), so I always have to double these recipes. It can be a challenge to find a pot big enough for these one pot meals. But this one fits just great in my Ninja Cooker! Read More

Helpful

(2)

Nancy T.

10/21/2013

This was yummy, quick, and easy. I would have given it 5 stars but I couldn't since I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I just used 1 cup of salsa, which was plenty for us, and I didn't have Velveeta, so I just used about 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese. Since there was no milk measurement, so I left it out. It looked the Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni (i think that was the name of it) we used to eat as kids, but this tastes way better since we used fresh ingredients. Thank you for the recipe! Read More

Helpful

(1)

Donna

01/29/2017

We really liked this recipe but it's pretty cheesy. I made corn for the side and we ended up mixing it in with the mac and salsa to lighten some of the cheese taste. Next time I will mix in some black beans and corn before serving. Good as a stand alone, as a dip or on tostadas. Read More

Helpful

(1)

smh312

08/21/2018

This was really good! Husband also loved it! I made mine own salsa from this site "D's Famous Salsa" which we also love. I cooked my noodles according to the directions on the package and didn't add the water from the recipe....just cook's error but still worked out. Only added a half cup of milk plus a little more maybe an additional 1/8 of a cup....because my salsa is a bit runny the way we like it so only added milk to what I needed to make the consistency I wanted. Read More

abbyz2000

02/19/2016

Love it! It's like nacho cheese dip with pasta. Read More

denis

12/31/2017

I did not have the salsa so I used 1 can Rotel and 1 can petite diced tomatoes. Also I chopped up one small onion and 1/2 green pepper and cooked them after the beef. Added a dash of crushed red peppers when cooking the mixture. And like someone else I added 1 1/2 cups cooked corn just before serving - about 2 min. We loved it! Read More

bd.weld

Allstar

07/06/2015

Delicious gooey comfort food with a spicy kick. I used homemade salsa/pico de gallo and substituted Nacho Cheese Sauce (found here on Allrecipes) in place of the Velveeta only because I'm not a fan of the taste. Please excuse me while I go and have another bowl. Read More

More Reviews

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All Reviews for Cheesy Salsa Mac

- of Reviews

Cheesy Salsa Mac

Servings Per Recipe: 6
Calories: 486.7

% Daily Value *

protein: 64 %

carbohydrates: 10 %

dietary fiber: 9 %

sugars:

fat: 40 %

saturated fat: 69 %

cholesterol: 34 %

vitamin a iu: 16 %

niacin equivalents: 87 %

vitamin b6: 26 %

vitamin c: 3 %

folate: 20 %

calcium: 43 %

iron: 16 %

magnesium: 22 %

potassium: 19 %

sodium: 48 %

thiamin: 36 %

calories from fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Reviews for Photos of Cheesy Salsa Mac

1 of 19

All Reviews

katie

10/04/2018

Helpful

(2)

Kassilynn

10/13/2018

I had to use store-bought salsa, and chose to use extra shredded cheese instead of the processed cheese food that I don't like and it still turned out awesome! I would definitely make this again!!!

Helpful

(2)

Janet Mease