Taco Pasta

I’m realizing more and more lately that my culinary adventures are shifting because I want to now make dishes that my Anna love. As someone who shows their love through food, nothing makes me feel more accomplished in the kitchen then when the people I love enjoy the food I make.

Pre-mommy Jacquie wouldn’t have considered to create a cheesy taco pasta, but because Anna hasn’t been feeling great lately, I wanted to make her something she would devour, and a tomato-y, cheesy, taco pasta was just the ticket on a sick day for her.

If you’re a fan of my Taco Pie, than this dish is for you. It uses the same base of ingredients for the sauce, and is such a comforting dish that you will definitely be going back for seconds.

Justin got me a super cool immersion blender for my birthday this year. It also has a whisk and cheese grating attachment. I think I’m in love!

I added cream cheese and some cumin, garlic and chili powder to make the taco seasoning base for this pasta. It elevated the dish to another level!

Once the noodles were cooked through, I added the sauce to the pasta and mixed thoroughly to combine.

Top with cheese and voila!

You have a happy girl who messily enjoyed her pasta.

Taco Pasta

You will need:

For the sauce:

• 2 cups salsa
• 1 can sweet corn
• 1 can black beans
• 1 cup cream cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder

Everything else:

• Pasta (I used rotini)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, to serve

Begin by filling a large pot of water to cook your pasta. Prepare sauce while waiting for it to boil. In a medium saucepan, combine salsa, corn, beans and cream cheese. Heat until cream cheese is melted. Add cumin, garlic and chili powder to the sauce and mix thoroughly to combine. Once the water is boiling in the large pot, cook pasta according to package instructions. When pasta is cooked, combine sauce and noodles. Serve topped with cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Cheesy Tater Tots

For last weekend’s Thanksgiving dinner, I prepared the mashed potatoes. I went all out and made roasted garlic red skinned mashed potatoes, and they were a huge hit. With a decent amount of leftovers, I decided to make some homemade tater tots for Anna (who is quite the potato fiend). These are so very simple and quite delicious.

First thing’s first is to grate some cheese into the potatoes.

Next, crack in an egg and add breadcrumbs.

Mix it all together.

Then form into tater tots and place on a greased baking dish.

Bake until the tots are golden brown and crispy on the outside.

Cheesy Tater Tots

You will need:

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 egg

1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp seasoning salt

Preheat oven to 375 and spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Begin by mixing the cheese into the potatoes. Add egg, breadcrumbs and seasoning and mix thoroughly to combine. Form into tater tot shapes and place on dish. Bake, turning once for 30 mins. They are ready when the tots are crispy and golden. Enjoy!