I think I’ve finally made it in the clear with my wisdom tooth extraction.
Now on Day 6 of being wisdom-less. No pain and—knock on wood—no dry socket. I guess I was lucky to only have one wisdom tooth? The past six days have been relatively easy and pain-free, so I guess I am lucky!
I am still nervous to chew anything on that side of my mouth, though, so I’ve been eating soft foods since the surgery. Soups, yogurt, grilled cheese sandwiches—so this Taco Pasta recipe sure spiced things up.
This dinner recipe is perfect for football season and the highly stressful football playoffs! It makes a big batch so you can feed many party-goers, and it refrigerates well so you can have leftovers for days. Also, it’s one of those “put on the stovetop and leave” recipes, so you can watch every minute of a football game without having to worry about cooking!
Taco Pasta is basically the same as taco soup with one minor variant: wagon wheel shaped pasta. You should easily find it in your local grocery store in the pasta aisle. If your grocer doesn’t carry it, feel free to use small elbow macaroni or small shell pasta.
Taco Pasta
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 pkg (1.25 oz) taco seasoning mix
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked wagon wheel pasta
- 1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn (or 1 can whole kernel corn)
- 1 can (15 oz.) pinto or kidney beans, drained
- 1 medium tomato, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 TBS. chopped chives
1. In 12″ skillet or deep pot (I used a pot), cook beef & onion over medium-high heat, about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until browned. Drain.
2. Stir in seasoning mix, water, uncooked pasta, corn, beans & tomato into beef mixture. Heat to boiling; stir. Reduce heat to medium-low & cover. Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente (or however desired) and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Stir in sour cream. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese and chives. Cover; let stand 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.
I guarantee everyone at your next football party will love this. Spicy, warm, and filling, this will sure cause some naps during halftime!
