Taco Tortellini Skillet
This taco tortellini skillet combines classic Tex Mex flavors, ground beef, veggies, and pillows of cheese tortellini for a quick recipe you will want to make over and over again. It’s an updated, extra cheesy take on taco pasta everyone will love.
With the general busy life that comes with having 4 busy sons, I don’t have much time to stop and think.
But I still try to keep us all happy and well fed with new easy dinners.
This taco tortellini skillet is a delicious mash up of taco pasta full of ground beef, enchilada sauce, and classic Mexican veggies combined with cheesy filled pasta.
The whole thing gets topped with cheese and broiled to cheesy, bubbly perfection.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Tortellini– Either cheese tortellini or you could substitute ground beef tortellini
- Ground beef– Use lean ground beef. Even with a good strain after it’s fully cooked, the meat will still release some excess grease while it’s cooked with the other ingredients. We want to keep that at a minimum since the sauce is thin enough on its own and we want to keep it from being ‘greasy’.
- Taco seasoning– Your favorite brand
- Beef broth– Don’t substitute chicken or veggie here. It will change the flavor.
- Enchilada sauce– We use mild red enchilada sauce, but for a spicy kick you could use hot enchilada sauce.
- Canned veggies– Drained and rinsed black beans and drained corn
- Cheese– Shredded cheddar cheese
- Garnish– Sour cream, sliced green onions, roughly chopped fresh cilantro
How to Make
This taco tortellini skillet is so easy to make!
To do it, cook the tortellini according to the package directions.
Once the tortellini is al dente, drain it in a colander. Set it aside.
While the tortellini is coming to a boil and cooking, get started on the ground beef.
To cook the beef, brown it in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks.
When the beef is completely cooked through, drain the skillet of any excess grease.
Once you drain the excess grease, stir the taco seasoning into the beef.
Next pour the broth and enchilada sauce the beef, stirring together.
Stir in the drained beans, the drained corn, and tortellini.
Heat the skillet over medium heat until the mixture simmers.
Let the mixture simmer for 1-2 minutes or until everything is heated through and the sauce has thickened.
Stir the mixture well.
Sprinkle the cheese evenly out over the top and pop the skillet under the broiler.
Broil, watching carefully, just until the cheese has melted.
Remove the skillet from the oven, and top it with garnishes of your choice.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Leftovers reheat beautifully in the microwave.
Other Topping Ideas
Everybody tends to have their own favorite toppings with Tex Mex dishes.
As written, this is delicious served with a dollop of sour cream, thinly sliced green onion, and some fresh cilantro leaves.
Other tasty options include:
- thinly sliced jalapenos
- crushed tortilla chips
- diced red onion
- pico de gallo
- avocado slices
Tips and Tricks
- We use a plain cheese tortellini in this recipe, but that’s not the only option. Spinach stuffed are equally tasty, and one of my favorite ways to sneak in some extra veggies in an otherwise carb heavy one dish skillet supper.
- Fresh or frozen tortellini both work well, but I wouldn’t recommend using dried tortellini.
- Don’t like black beans? Kidney and pinto beans both make excellent substitutions.
- When people think of enchilada sauce, they tend to think of the red version. That’s what we used in the photographed version seen here, but the green sauce (an equal amount is just as tasty and a great way to shake things up for a yummy change of pace.
Taco Tortellini Skillet
Ingredients
- 12-16 oz tortellini
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 cups enchilada sauce
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained & rinsed
- 1 15 oz can corn kernels drained
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream for garnish
- green onions thinly sliced, for garnish
- fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to the package directions, until al dente. Transfer to a colander to drain completely.12-16 oz tortellini
- While the tortellini is coming to a boil and cooking, get started on the ground beef. In a large over safe skillet, brown the ground beef.1 lb lean ground beef
- Break the ground beef up as it cooks. When completely cooked through, drain the skillet of any excess grease.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning out over the beef, and stir. Next pour the broth & enchilada sauce over top, and stir together until the seasoning is completely incorporated in to the thin sauce.1 tbsp taco seasoning, 1 cup beef broth, 2 cups enchilada sauce
- Stir in the beans, corn, and tortellini until evenly incorporated. Heat the skillet over medium heat, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer for 1-2 minutes, just until everything's heated through and the sauce has thickened.1 15 oz can black beans, 1 15 oz can corn kernels
- Stir the mixture well. Sprinkle the cheese evenly out over the top, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Broil, watching carefully, just until the cheese has melted- shouldn't take but a minute or so.1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Remove the skillet from the oven, and top it with sour cream, green onion, and cilantro- if using- for garnishes.sour cream, green onions, fresh cilantro leaves
- Serve & enjoy!
Notes
- We use a plain cheese tortellini in this recipe, but that’s not the only option. Spinach stuffed are equally tasty, and one of my favorite ways to sneak in some extra veggies in an otherwise carb heavy one dish skillet supper.
- Fresh or frozen tortellini both work well, but I wouldn’t recommend using dried tortellini.
- Don’t like black beans? Kidney and pinto beans both make excellent substitutions.
- When people think of enchilada sauce, they tend to think of the red version. That’s what we used in the photographed version seen here, but the green sauce (an equal amount is just as tasty and a great way to shake things up for a yummy change of pace.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Closet Cooking
Your recipes sound delicious. It’s beyond irritating, though, that one has to scroll down for what seems an eternity – with all the ads, etc – to actually be able to view the “proper” list of ingredients. Just a wee bit too time consuming, but sounds out-of-this-world mouthwatering. : /
While it may be a wee bit time consuming, the ads help pay for recipe development and to maintain and run our website. If you’re short on time, at the very top of each post is a clickable black box that says ‘jump to recipe’- click it and it will take you straight to view the recipe card. Thank you for the compliment, and I hope you find many recipes to make & enjoy!!
This looks good! Meat or cheese tortellini?
I used plain cheese, but you could use whichever you prefer.