Taco Pasta Salad

My favorite meals to prepare are the ones that come together quickly, that can be served simply without a lot of fuss, and of course the ones that offer leftovers. My family loves leftovers so I consider myself fortunate! We all love pasta and who doesn't like a great taco? Combining them creates a meal that can be made ahead of time, that can be served without any prep work after a long day, and that will have your family asking for leftovers guaranteed! My favorite thing about this dish is that it is served cold. We have this at least once a month in the summer!

Taco Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1- 16 ounce box of garden rotini cooked al dente and chilled

1 pound of lean ground beef, browned, drained and chilled

1 12 ounce bottle of Catalina Salad Dressing

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1 envelope of mild taco seasoning

1/2 cup of black olives

1 cup of cherry tomatoes

1 medium sweet onion, sliced or diced {your preference}

1 bell pepper, sliced or diced

salsa

sour cream

Nacho Cheese Doritos

Directions

Prepare ground beef with taco seasoning, allow to cool to room temperature then chill

Prepare rotini al dente style, allow to come to room temperature

After the first two steps have been completed, combine the pasta and Catalina Salad Dressing.

Mix well until all pasta has been coated. 

Add cheese

Add the taco meat and stir well, evenly distributing the cheese and meat.

Prepare the fresh vegetables, but place them in individual sealable containers or baggies.

When it is time to serve, start with a bed of Doritos, then spoon the pasta mixture over them.

Top with vegetables, salsa and sour cream to your liking.

This makes a generous amount of Taco Pasta Salad. My family of 2 adults and 2 children will usually have this for 3 meals. I love to add lettuce to mine with lots of onions and olives. My husband loves the peppers and tomatoes, so offering the toppings on the side allows us the opportunity to make it to taste with our veggies. The kids are just thrilled to have a meal with chips in it! Ha! To be honest, that appeals to me too sometimes!

Another favorite recipe that we sometimes serve with this Taco Pasta Salad that is light and crowd pleasing is my Veggie Pizza. Again this is a cold serve recipe and I love how we can get even more fresh veggies into our meal in such a yummy way!