Taco Mac and Cheese

Mid-May and the daycare is approaching its end-of-year energy, that particular combination of winding down and winding up, wrapping up this year's kids and preparing for the next batch. I have been at this daycare for six years and the cycle feels like a season now, as natural as autumn following summer: you hold this group, you let them go forward, you welcome the next ones, you hold them.

Crystal and I have been texting every few days. Short messages, careful, like the ones in February but with slightly more substance now. She asked this week if I like cooking. I said it is the thing I am most serious about. She said: I never learned. I said: I know someone who could teach you. I meant myself and she knew I meant myself and she said: maybe someday. The word someday is doing a lot of work in this relationship and I am learning to accept that.

I made Debbie's chicken and dumplings for Tyler this Saturday, fully from memory now, the flat dumplings pulled by hand and the broth thick and starchy from where they cooked in it. I have made this recipe approximately fifteen times in the past year and I believe I have arrived at the version that is mine: a little more thyme than Debbie uses, a touch of white wine in the broth, and the dumplings slightly thinner than her standard. Tyler tasted it and said: this is not exactly Mom's. I said: no, it is mine. He was quiet a moment and then he smiled and said: I like yours.

There’s something about the act of cooking for someone — really cooking, from memory, with intention — that makes a recipe feel like yours in a way nothing else can. After that Saturday with Tyler, after hearing him say I like yours, I started thinking about what I’d make first if Crystal ever did take me up on that offer to teach her. It would have to be something forgiving, something that rewards confidence more than precision. This Taco Mac and Cheese is exactly that: one pan, familiar flavors, and just enough technique to feel like you actually cooked — because you did.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (80/20)
1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Ro-Tel), undrained
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Sour cream, sliced green onions, and pickled jalapenos, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Brown the beef. In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Season the meat. Add the taco seasoning and water to the skillet. Stir to coat the beef evenly and cook for 2 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed.
Build the base. Pour in the chicken broth, milk, and the entire can of diced tomatoes with their liquid. Stir in the garlic powder. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
Cook the pasta. Add the dry elbow macaroni directly to the skillet. Stir well, reduce heat to medium, and cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. If it looks too thick before the pasta is done, add a splash of broth or water.
Melt in the cheese. Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses a handful at a time, letting each addition melt fully before adding the next. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Serve. Spoon into bowls and top with sour cream, green onions, and pickled jalapenos if desired. Serve immediately while the cheese is still glossy and melted.

Nutrition (per serving)

Taco Mac and Cheese — The Comfort of Making Something Yours