Taco Southwestern Mac & Cheese

There are meals that feed your family… and then there are meals that bring them back to the table twice. This one? It’s the second kind.

This Taco Southwestern Mac & Cheese is comfort food with a little sass — creamy, cheesy, just the right kick of spice, and hearty enough to satisfy even the hungriest crew. It’s the kind of dish you make once and then keep tucked in your back pocket for busy nights, potlucks, or when you just need something warm and dependable.

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Servings: 6

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• 12 oz. bowtie pasta

• ½ lb. cheddar cheese

• 2 cups milk

• 1 can cheddar soup

• 1 (4 oz.) can diced jalapeños

• 2 cups chicken thighs, cooked in taco seasoning (chopped)

• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

• 1 cup salsa (½ cup for topping)

• Salt & pepper, to taste

• Sour cream (pass for seconds)

• 16 tortilla scoops (more if you like on the side)

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Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. In a skillet, cook chicken thighs with taco seasoning until fully done. Chop into bite-sized pieces.

3. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, chicken, cheddar cheese, cheddar soup, milk, and diced jalapeños. Mix until everything is well coated and creamy.

4. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish and spread evenly.

5. Top with the 16 tortilla scoops.

6. Spoon salsa into each scoop.

7. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

8. Remove from oven, sprinkle with shredded pepper jack cheese, and return to oven for an additional 5–10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

9. Garnish with sour cream and serve warm.

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Crackerberries Notes

• Want more heat? Add fresh jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce.

• Feeding picky eaters? Tone it down by swapping pepper jack for mozzarella.

• This reheats beautifully — if there’s any left.

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Some recipes are just food.
Others become part of your rhythm, your table, your story.

This one? It’s a keeper.

– Crackerberries Kitchen © 2026

Barbie's Favorite Chili

BEANS:

2 cups dry beans (red kidney are favorite but I think this time I used soldier)

½ cup sugar

½ ketchup

¼ cup molasses

2 tsp. dry mustard

½ cup chopped onion

¼ lb. salt pork

Salt and pepper.

Soak beans overnight, drain, rinse, and put in crock pot with just enough water to cover.  Add ingredients and cook on high for 3 hours, turn down to low and cook 5-6 more hours.

CHILI

1¼ lb. ground beef

1 pkg. hot sausage links, removed from casing

1 lg. can diced tomatoes (I used roasted red pepper)

1 cup tomato sauce

1 lg. green pepper, diced (didn’t have green pepper so used 5 jalapeno’s from garden)

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. chili powder

1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. basil

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tbsp. paprika

Cook burger and sausage and drain off grease. Add onions, garlic and green pepper and cook until aromatic. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices and beans. Simmer on medium heat, stir often, 1-2 hours.

Great chili bowls, taco salads, burrito’s, nachos. 

Chili Taco Pie

Chili Taco Pie

4 8-inch flour tortillas

5 5½-inch corn tortillas

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup frozen corn

1½ cups red kidney beans, drained

½ cup chopped onion

1 can diced tomatoes with green Chile peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

¼-½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded cheddar

Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, sour cream

In large skillet cook ground beef until brown.  Drain off grease, add garlic and onions and cook 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes with Chile peppers, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper and corn.  Cook until aromatic and heated through.  Gently stir in red kidney beans.  Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375º.

Lightly grease pie plate.  Place corn tortilla around the outside edges so that about one inch over-flaps.  Place one flour tortilla in the center.  Spread one third of the meat mixture over the top, cover with flour tortilla and repeat the process.  Spread shredded cheddar over top and bake about 30 minutes until cheese bubbles and corn tortillas are crunchy and brown.

Cool slightly before serving with shredded lettuces, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

 

© Crackerberries 2014