Mmm... Taco Bake

Tonight I made Taco Bake and all I can say is ... Yum. It was definitely a hit and it will definitely be made again. I can envision entertaining with it as well. Lord knows the recipe makes plenty of servings!

• 1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey!)
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 15 oz. tomato sauce
• 8 oz. seashell pasta
• 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened in microwave (I used 1/3 less fat)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (I used 1/2 a container)
• 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 9x13 pan
• cooking spray

1. Brown ground beef, drain.
2. Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
3. In the meantime, cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
4. Preheat oven to 350.
5. Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in separate bowl.
6. Spray bottom of 9x13 pan. Put pasta in bottom of pan.
7. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta.
8. Spoon ground meat mixture over this.
9. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
10. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

The best news is that S liked it, too. And that made my day because not only did I use the less fat version of cream cheese, but I also used Turkey instead of ground beef: two things S is not fond of. Or so he says. Needless to say, I didn't tell him my little secret - nor will I.

Things to remember for next time: cook the pasta a little longer. I thought (I'm *not* a kitchen person eh) that if I undercooked it, it would bake to perfection whereas if I cooked it to perfection, it would bake to mush. And I don't like mush.

But I was wrong.

It was still really friggin good though. And I can't wait for lunch tomorrow! :)

Also for next time: if making for just the two of us, I think I'm going to cut the recipe in half for four large servings rather than 8.