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All the flavors of a beef & cheese enchilada come together beautifully in this creamy, One Pot Enchilada Pasta the whole family will enjoy!
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One of my favorite foods growing up was my mom’s Enchilada recipe. And let’s be real, I’ve always loved all kinds of Mexican food! Well this One Pot Enchilada Pasta is no exception. I mean Tex-Mex + Pasta….what could go wrong?!
Remember the first one pot skillet I did awhile back – the Easy Taco Pasta Skillet? This one is similar in that it’s all cooked in one pan, is super quick and has less dishes than a typical pasta dish. However, it’s a little more zesty (though the heat level is customizable) and also a touch more creamy, thanks to the cream cheese! It’s so good. SO good. But you know what I’ll say….don’t take my word for it! 😉
Ingredients Needed for One Pot Enchilada Pasta
- Ground Beef – I like to use a lean ground beef (85%+) for this recipe, but any will work!
- Small Onion
- Water or Beef Broth
- Red Enchilada Sauce – I use a mild enchilada sauce, but you could also use medium or hot, depending on your heat preference! I prefer the Old El Paso brand. You could also use a homemade enchilada sauce if you like.
- Pasta – I use rotini pasta, but have also tried ziti and penne, which both worked just fine! You can also use whole wheat pasta.
- Ground Cumin
- Red Pepper Flakes – I love the touch of heat, but this could be skipped if you want to keep it super mild
- Cream Cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese for the best results
- Cheddar Cheese – A block of cheese or pre-shredded cheese will work!
Optional Add-Ins
- Green Chiles – add a can of drained green chiles when you add the pasta
- Black Beans or Pinto Beans – add a can of drained beans when there are just a couple minutes left to warm them through
- Bell Pepper – add 1/2 cup diced bell pepper (any color!) when you cook up the ground beef and onions
This is the easiest weeknight meal – here’s how!
Before you begin, make sure you’ve got a large skillet or large pot. This makes a good-sized batch of pasta!
First off, you’ll brown the ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until cooked. Then, the enchilada sauce, water, pasta and seasonings are added and stirred together. Once the mixture comes to a boil, it will continue to cook on low for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is soft.
Mix in the cream cheese and top with cheddar cheese. Easy, huh?!! Yep, and SO fast – perfect for those busy weeknights!
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s easy to add some heat to this easy meal. You can opt to use a spicy enchilada sauce (instead of a regular can of enchilada sauce) or stir in a sprinkle of cayenne pepper!
I like to let my family top the enchilada pasta casserole as they like. Some of our favorite toppings sliced green onions, black olives, diced tomatoes, crushed tortilla chips (a nice crunchy add-in!) and a dollop of sour cream!
Keep the leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Other favorite One Pot Pastas
Easy One Pot Spaghetti turns the classic into a weeknight favorite, thanks to fewer dishes, less time and more flavor!!
One Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta has juicy steak, tender onions & peppers and a whole ‘lotta flavor!
One Pot Chicken Enchilada Pasta is SO good! Now you’ve got options for beef enchilada pasta and chicken enchilada pasta!
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Follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook so you never miss a recipe!! And as always, thank you for following along with my blog, making my recipes, liking and sharing on social media and any other way you support Dance Around the Kitchen! -Kelsey
One Pot Enchilada Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 2 cups water or beef broth
- One 19-ounce can enchilada sauce
- 8 ounces dry rotini pasta (about 2 1/4 c)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add the ground beef & diced onion and brown until fully cooked; pour out any excess grease.
- Add the water, enchilada sauce, pasta, cumin and red pepper flakes; stir.
- Cook over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
- Stir in the cream cheese until completely melted.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
- Serve warm.
So easy & tasty! Thanks so much, Kelsey for sharing. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. 🙂
Awwww so glad you enjoyed it!! I’m all about easy & tasty! 🙂 -Kelsey
Was so good love following you recipies.
This was so easy and good !!!!
My husband absolutely loves your recipe, he says I can make it as much as I want and he’ll gobble it all up. Thank you!
Just curious I am making and doubling this this evening
I notice everything doubles but the enchilada sauce
Should it or should it not be doubled?
Hi Celia – I’m sorry about that! I need to figure out a better way to use the “double” function as it seems to miss an ingredient from time to time. YES, go ahead and double the enchilada sauce as well. I hope you enjoy it!! 🙂 ~Kelsey