Filling and immensely tasty :), can be made vegetarian too if you wish. Thanks Mama Kemp for submitting this for other Mom’s like her. This can be served as a meal or as a side dish. Great to pack for lunch the next day.
Mexican Pasta Bake
2 cups dry of whole wheat rotini (measured and then cooked to al dente)
½ lb of extra lean ground beef or Ground Round (plain or Mexican flavored), browned
1 can of sweet corn niblets (drained and rinsed)
1 can of black beans or turtle beans (drained and rinsed completely)
2 cups of light grated nacho cheese mix (Cheddar, Jack and Mozza I believe)
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, sliced into rounds
1 bottle of salsa (up to about 650ml should do, pick your level of spice)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Put cooked pasta, cooked beef or substitute, corn, beans, salsa and ¾ of the cheese in a big bowl and mix together. Put into a round casserole. Place sliced tomatoes on top, cover with rest of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes until the cheese on the inside layers is melted. Serves 5.