If we're totally honest with ourselves, we can admit that we didn't grow up eating organic kale salads, quinoa, and sushi. Heck, where I'm from, I'd never heard of any of those things and didn't know there was any kind of fish other than deep fried catfish until I went to college. When you have a large family and a small budget, you eat whatever is put in front of you.
Now of course being from Louisiana, there was plenty of red beans and rice, shrimp poboys, crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, gumbo, smothered chicken, and rice and gravy, but we also ate our fair share of fried bologna and cheese sandwiches, frozen Totino's pizzas, and one of my personal favorites... Hamburger Helper.
Y'all, I cannot even put into words how much I loved (and still love) this stuff. But for some reason, on a day when I must have been feeling particularly insecure about my role as a mama and homemaker, I let the side-eyes from the moms in the pasta aisle at Publix shame me into hurrying past the "Boxed Pasta Meals" section and tossing a box of whole wheat linguine into my shopping cart instead. I grudgingly paid for my items and hustled out of that store just as fast as my ballet flats could carry me.
I'm sure y'all have heard the phrase "Necessity is the mother of invention." Well, since my soul was still craving Hamburger Helper and I needed to get dinner on the table in record time, I decided to create my own version in the privacy of my own home where those ladies couldn't mom shame me anymore! I got right to work, and was pleasantly surprised to find that with a few basic pantry items, a pound of ground turkey, and about 25 minutes, I had created a delicious dinner that even my picky 5 year old couldn't resist!
So try out my recipe for the best Taco Mac- I promise you'll love it!!
The BEST Taco Mac
What You Need:
2 cups macaroni, uncooked
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
1 packet taco seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch pepper
2 cans tomato soup
2 ounces cheddar cheese (optional)
What To Do:
1. Boil macaroni until tender.
2. Brown ground beef in a large saucepan until no longer pink. Drain.
3. Add remaining ingredients (except cheese) to saucepan with meat and stir until well combined.
4. Add cooked pasta to the sauce and stir.
5. Sprinkle cheese on top and let simmer until cheese is melted.
6. Enjoy!!
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