Ever wonder why some comfort foods just never quite hit the spot when you’re elbow-deep in Tuesday night dinner panic? I’ve been fumblin’ around with this Crock Pot Taco Shells and Cheese – Creamy Cheesy Taco Pasta situation for months now, trying to get it just right. Back in 2019, my kitchen experienced what I call a “cheese drought” (three blocks moldy simultaneously—THE HORROR), and I accidentally discovered that taco seasonings can rescue even the most pathetic pasta situations. My grandma Eunice always said pasta needs “aggressive babysitting,” but I’ve learned it actually thrives on neglect in a crock pot—especially when you use my signature “flavor-bombing” technique where you just chuck everything in and walk away. Trust me, this taco shells and cheese business will change your weeknight game, no cap.
When Dinner Plans Go Sideways: My Taco Pasta Journey
So I was scraping frost off my windshield last February (or maybe it was March? Definitely winter-adjacent) when I suddenly remembered I promised to bring “something substantial” to Kathy’s potluck. Panic mode! I raced home and rifled through my pantry like a raccoon in a dumpster. All I found was half a box of shells, taco seasoning from who-knows-when, and cheese that was suspiciously sweaty but hadn’t grown anything fuzzy yet.
My first attempt at Crock Pot Taco Shells and Cheese was…explosive. The pasta turned to mush (rookie mistake #37: overcooking pasta in slow cookers), the cheese separated into an oil slick (turns out pre-shredded has anti-caking agents that hate slow heat), and Pete from downstairs knocked on my door asking if something had died in my apartment.
Eight variations later, I cracked the code during a thunderstorm in Cincinnati when the power kept flickering, forcing me to time the cooking in what I call “prayer intervals.” That’s when I discovered my reverse-loading method—where you layer things backward from how your brain says they should go. Folks at the neighborhood block party nearly tackled me for seconds, even though I served it in my chipped mixing bowl because I broke the good one trying to make bread the week before.
What You’ll Need to Make This Taco Pasta Magic
- 1 pound ground beef (the fattier the better—80/20 is my sweet spot, though sometimes I sneak in turkey and nobody knows the difference)
- 2 and a smidge tablespoons taco seasoning (store-bought works, but homemade gives you bragging rights)
- 1 medium onion, diced into anxious little pieces (yellow preferred, but any color that isn’t actually rotting will do)
- 3/4 cup salsa (chunky or smooth—depends if you’re hiding vegetables from children or roommates)
- 2 cups chicken broth (or that weird carton stock that’s been in your fridge too long)
- 8 oz cream cheese, cut into Lego-sized chunks (cold from fridge is fine—don’t let anyone bully you about room temperature)
- 3-ish cups of shell pasta, uncooked (measure with your heart, not your measuring cup)
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combo of cheddar and monterey jack, but any meltable cheese that hasn’t fossilized works)
- One Merriweather pinch of garlic powder (that’s when you sneeze right as you’re adding it)
- Optional garnishes: green onions, crushed tortilla chips, more cheese (because there’s never enough), sour cream dollops
Let’s Get Cooking (Or Rather, Let the Crock Pot Do the Work)
STAGE ONE: Meat Matters
- Brown your ground beef in a skillet until it’s no longer giving you salmonella anxiety. Drain off some—but not all!—of the fat. You need that flavor juice! While you’re doing this, accidentally splash grease on your favorite shirt. Curse loudly. Continue cooking.
STAGE TWO: The Assembly (or what I call “ingredient Jenga”)
2) Toss that meat into your crock pot like you’re angry at it. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over top. Don’t stir yet! This is key to my reverse-loading technique. Let the seasoning sit on the meat like a little flavor blanket.
- Now scatter your diced onion across the seasoned meat. If you’re crying from the onions, just pretend you’re watching a sad movie. My neighbor Terry once walked in during this stage and thought I was having a breakdown. I was—but it was onion-induced.
- Pour your salsa over everything. Use the back of a spoon to smoosh it around until it covers most things. It doesn’t need to be perfect—cooking isn’t brain surgery, unless you’re making my Aunt Mabel’s soufflé, which literally once sent someone to the hospital.
STAGE THREE: The Liquid Magic
5) Here comes the tricky bit—add your chicken broth but DO NOT STIR YET. I know every bone in your body wants to stir. Resist! This is part of what I call the “patience layer” that makes this Crock Pot Taco Shells and Cheese transcendent rather than just edible.
- Place your cream cheese chunks on top, spacing them like little islands in a sea of potential deliciousness. Again—don’t stir! I once stirred too early and created what my friends now refer to as “The Incident of 2022.” We don’t talk about it at dinner parties.
STAGE FOUR: Pasta and Finish
7) Now—and only now—sprinkle your dry pasta shells over everything. Push them down GENTLY so they’re mostly submerged, but don’t go crazy with the mixing. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, or until the pasta has that slight resistance when you bite it (what I call the “almost-al-dente” stage, or that moment when you’re not sure if it’s done but you’re too hungry to wait).
- Once pasta reaches that magical texture between crunchy and mush, NOW you can stir everything together. Add your shredded cheese, stir again, cover and let it melt for about 10-15 minutes more. The final texture should remind you of that mac and cheese you had at your cousin’s wedding that you couldn’t stop thinking about.
Recipe Notes & Whispered Secrets
• NEVER pre-cook the pasta. I don’t care what other recipes tell you. They’re wrong. Pre-cooked pasta in a crock pot turns into wallpaper paste. I learned this during The Great Pasta Disaster when I was cooking for my boss and had to order pizza instead.
• The “cheese lid technique” – In the final stage, don’t mix in all the cheese. Instead, create a cheese lid by sprinkling half on top and not stirring. This creates what my imaginary cooking mentor Chef Guillaume calls “the cheese canopy effect.”
★ If your sauce looks too thick, add a splash of milk. If it’s too thin, don’t panic! Let it sit uncovered for 15 minutes. The pasta will drink up the excess like me at an open bar.
• Contrary to popular belief, stirring pasta constantly is pasta abuse. Let it be. My grandmother would roll in her grave if she knew how little I interact with my pasta during cooking.
• For vegetarian version, swap the meat for black beans and corn. I accidentally served this to my carnivore brother-in-law Stan, and he asked for the recipe before I told him there was no meat. He still gives me suspicious looks at family gatherings.
Check out my Instant Pot Chili Mac for another easy pasta dinner idea
Kitchen Arsenal
BEAT-UP 6-QUART CROCK POT ★★★★★
Mine has a crack in the ceramic that I’ve convinced myself adds flavor
Purchased during the Obama administration and still going strong despite falling off my counter twice
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UCG8II
WOODEN SPOON WITH CHARACTER ★★★★★
The one with the burn mark from when I left it on the stove during a phone call with my ex
Has developed a permanent orange tinge from all the tomato-based recipes it’s stirred
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFNX5ZM
Remix Your Taco Pasta
• BREAKFAST VARIATION: Leftover Crock Pot Taco Shells and Cheese makes an outrageous breakfast. Reheat it, top with a fried egg, and eat it while questioning your life choices. I discovered this at 7am after a night when my friend Jess crashed on my couch and we needed hangover food.
• SPICY DIVORCE EDITION: Double the hot sauce, add sliced jalapeños, and a full tablespoon of red pepper flakes. I created this the week after my sister’s divorce was finalized. She said it “matched her mood perfectly” and then cried into her wine.
• FANCY PANTS VERSION: Stir in 1/4 cup of white wine (after drinking the rest of the bottle, obviously), add sun-dried tomatoes, and top with fresh basil. Serve with a straight face and insist it’s “elevated comfort food” when your foodie friends come over.
Try my Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake for another crowd-pleasing dinner
The One Thing Everyone Asks
Can I make this Crock Pot Taco Shells and Cheese ahead and reheat it?
Contrary to conventional pasta wisdom, this reheats BETTER than fresh in some mysterious violation of the laws of thermodynamics. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days, but add a splash of milk when reheating to revive the creaminess. The flavor actually intensifies overnight in what I call “refrigerator alchemy.” I’ve had heated arguments with professional chefs about this, but I stand by my claim that day-two taco pasta has more depth. The key is reheating it at 60% power in the microwave with a damp paper towel over top.
For more make-ahead meals, check out my Freezer-Friendly Enchilada Casserole
Final Thoughts on Taco Pasta Brilliance
This Crock Pot Taco Shells and Cheese – Creamy Cheesy Taco Pasta has pulled me through some desperate dinner situations, from unexpected guests to those nights when cooking sounds as appealing as dental surgery. What makes this recipe special isn’t just the taco-mac flavor collision—it’s the “set it and forget it” liberation that gives you back an hour of your life.
Will you add more veggies next time? Should you try different cheese combinations? Could you layer tortilla chips on the bottom for a surprise crunch? These are questions only you can answer on your taco pasta journey.
I’m currently experimenting with a buffalo chicken version that’s either going to be revolutionary or get me banned from family potlucks forever. No in-between.
Until next time, may your cheese always melt perfectly and your pasta never stick together!
—Chef Disaster Maggie, 3-Time Runner-Up in the Midwestern Kitchen Catastrophe Recovery Championships
