Cheesy Mexican Pasta Bake

I have a confession: I am not a chef by any means. I’m no good at creating new recipes and if I gather up the guts to try something out of the box or veer off a trusted recipe, the results are usually awful and end up in the garbage. With that being said, I actually stumbled across a brand new recipe that tasted good. The Husband and I actually think that it was good enough for me to share it with you today! I present to you my Cheesy Mexican Pasta Bake.

Now I can probably guess what you’re thinking: Pasta? Mexican? Together? I know, I know! This recipe was actually born out of necessity. I had already prepped a few ingredients to make Baked Chicken Taquitos from Chef-In-Training and when I went to grab the tortillas from the fridge, I quickly realized that the Husband had been using them at breakfast. I needed to come up with something to feed my hungry family and this is what I put together.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup medium salsa
• 1/2 packet McCormick Chicken Taco Seasoning
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 cups Mexican-Blend shredded cheese
• 16 oz. box of whole wheat rotini, cooked and drained
• 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed

Direction:

1. Combine cream cheese, salsa, taco seasoning, and garlic in a large bowl. Mix well.

2. Add chicken, black beans, and 3/4 cups of the shredded cheese to the bowl and continue mixing well.

3. Empty rotini into a prepared 13 x 9 in. baking dish.

4. Empty the mixture from the bowl on top of the pasta and mix it together making sure to evenly distribute across the pan.

5. Top the pasta with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until the cheese is good and melty.

Bon Appetit!

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