CHEESY MEXICAN PASTA BAKE

This recipe has become a favorite this last month, partly because it's so good, and partly because it's so easy (and makes a ton). Sometimes I buy meat in bulk when it's on sale and prepare a couple of freezer meals with it. I had a couple pounds of ground beef and had intended to make a big meal to have some friends over, but their family got sick at the last minute, and I was stuck with a ton of beef.

I prepared all of the meat with 1 packet of taco seasoning. Normally, the packets call for water, but I used 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1/3 cup of water, and it was so flavorful! I ended up using some of it for beef burritos that same night, and used the rest to make 2 pasta bakes for the freezer.

In the pan with the cooked taco meat, I added about 1/3 cup of sour cream, 1/3 cup ricotta cheese, and a handful of cheddar. I cooked and drained a box of rigatoni pasta (but I'm sure whatever pasta you want would work out just as well) and added it to the pan, making sure to coat all the noodles. I divided it between two 8x8 pans, topped with a generous amount of mozzarella, and covered and froze. I use these dishes from Pyrex and they're awesome.

To reheat from frozen, bake at 350 F for around 45 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. I love doing freezer meals because all you have to do is bake it on a night when you don't have time to prepare stuff (or just don't want to). I serve with sweet corn, right in the same bowl. So good!