Creamy Taco Pasta
A few weeks ago my mom came down to Baltimore and stayed with me for a few days (Dave was out of town, and I hate staying by myself at night…one of the many ways I am still a child. 
)
My mom is many things, but an adventurous eater is not one of them. So I really wanted to make a dish that would be both healthy and satisfying while still being very familiar to her. That meant no tofu, no tempeh, and no green smoothies (I will get you to try one someday, Mom! 
).
What could be better than a homemade, healthified version of Hamburger Helper? Otherwise known as Creamy Taco Pasta.
Here are some of the ways I made this version a bit healthier than the kind from a box (other than the simple fact that it didn’t come from a box! Ha!)
- ground turkey instead of ground beef
- whole wheat pasta
- creamy sauce made from a mixture of plain Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese
- homemade taco seasoning
I’ve actually never made my own taco seasoning before, but I realized I had all of the ingredients on hand – chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
It was awesome – and no extra sodium required. 
The Creamy Taco Pasta itself is simple to make. I just cooked the pasta in boiling water, and simultaneously cooked my ground turkey in a skillet. Then I added onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, and my homemade taco seasoning. Finally, I made a sauce with cream cheese, plain Greek yogurt, and some of the pasta water. Put these three elements together – turkey mixture, cooked pasta, and sauce – topped it all with shredded cheddar, and dinner was served!
And a delicious dinner it was!
Next time I’d consider adding chopped cilantro, and maybe even some avocado – yum!
Creamy Taco Pasta
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Yields 4 hearty servings
Ingredients
1 lb. ground turkey
8 oz. dry whole wheat pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
3-4 tbsp taco seasoning, depending on your tastes (I used Annie’s simple recipe)
3 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheddar cheese
1. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground turkey until no longer pink, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
3. When the turkey is almost finished, add the chopped onion and garlic, cooking for another minute or so. Then add the tomatoes and the taco seasoning.
4. Mix together the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, then add that mixture plus the cooked pasta to the turkey mixture. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is well-blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Simmer over medium-low for a few minutes until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Remove from the heat and serve, topping with shredded cheddar.
What foods would you consider “familiar”? Did you eat Hamburger Helper growing up?
AND
Have you ever made your own taco seasoning, or do you stick to the pre-made packets?
Themocracy
Yum!
I used to make a dish really similar to that, I need to come up with a dairy free version.
Now I am on a mission.
I make my own, not only is the packaged stuff laden with sodium, it is also laden with gluten.
Is that all that’s in taco seasoning? I think I have all those ingredients on hand! That is good news, indeed. Thank you for sharing yet another delicious-looking and healthy recipe:-).
Oh that does look delicious!
This sounds like THE PERFECT comfort meal for a cold day. Defiitely hanging on to this one! I never ate Hamburger Helper, but Mr. KD loved it. I’m excited to give this a try and relive his old favories
I also make my own seasoning now. It’s just too easy not to! Now, if only I could say the same for marinara sauce.
Thanks so much for this recipe. My boyfriend is a super picky eater and all he ate before I came along was hamburger helper. (which is kind of disgusting to me) I bet he will LOVE this recipe because he loves spicy things. I am definitely going to try this one!
Awesome! I hope you (and your boyfriend!) enjoy it!
We started making our own taco seasoning when my brother found he had an allergy to cane sugar. It has taken a while to tweek it to our tastes, but I finally found a combo if spices that work well. Hamburger Helper was part of our diet when we camped across the country for 6+ weeks, but not really after that. Thanks for the great meal idea!
I’ve never made my own taco seasoning, but I really should since it’s hard to find them without wheat. Your creamy taco pasta looks awesome!! My mom used to make Hamburger Helper every now and then and I LOVED it, haha!
I just started to make my own taco and fajita seasoning, it’s so much easier than I originally thought!
Great hamburger helper swap!
I started making my own taco seasoning when I realized I never use a whole packet and I’d end up having a bunch of left over little half used packets.
that spice combo is soooooo pretty!! adding some avocado to the recipe would be awesome.
most of the pre-packaged kinds of taco seasoning have gluten, so i gotta make my own.
Your taco seasoning picture is so pretty! I’ve never actually created my own seasoning and have stuck to the packets thus far — but now, seeing this post things will change! I never had Hamburger Helper as a kid and had never tried it until I was 18 until I dated a guy that made it. I wouldn’t buy it for myself or my family.. I just like to create my own !!
I can state that this dish was delicious! But sorry Katie, I will never drink a GREEN drink!!!
That looks SO good! Ug, now I’m hungry. I’ve heard that you can use greek yogurt instead of sour cream, so I might give this recipe a go. Do you still taste the yogurt a lot though? I can’t stand the taste of G.Y….
looks good enough thought I don’t eat meat:)
Oooh this looks good! I’ve actually made Hamburger Buddy from Eating Well magazine before, which is obviously like Hamburger Helper but not so horrible for you.
I bet the taco seasoning makes it even better, though! And yes, I make my own taco seasoning. Won’t even use a packet anymore. 
*snob*
drooling mouth? check. desire to make this immediately? check. YUM!
I have never tried to make my own seasoning..I’m stuck on the prepackaged stuff for sure. I remember eating Hamburger Helper and liking it but haven’t had it in years.
yum! I saved this
That looks delicious, Katie! I’ve never thought about making my own taco seasoning but it definitely sounds doable!
I ate HB Helper as a kid, and I have to admit, I like it! I don’t eat it any more, though, as I love to cook. Maybe I should try this HB Helper-like recipe!
My parents aren’t adventurous eaters either yet my sister and I will try anything! I’ve never tried HB Helper though and I’ve never heard of Creamy Taco Pasta hah.
This looks fabulous
The only time I ate Hamburger Helper was when my mom was gone and my dad was stuck feeding four hungry kids. He always wanted fast and easy and tasty. Lol, I think he likes it more than we did.
This looks delicious!! I love how it’s fairly basic and simple but I imagine it was still quite tasty due to the spices. I’ve never made my own homemade taco spices (I’m sure I’d find a way to screw them up!) but that’s a great idea.
NOPE! Never given Hamburger Helper or Kraft Mac & Cheese as a child…my mom never fed us anything from a box or processed really. Come to think of it, I’ve never eaten Hamburger Helper! I have had Kraft M&C though…and I’m not a fan…
I love the addition of the Greek yogurt! I can’t seem to get enough lately.
I have just been enlightened regarding the dangers of sodium. My dad told me about all this research suggesting that sodium is a huge component in causing obesity. So, I HAVE tried to make my own taco seasoning! It is alright, but I think I’ll try yours next!
Thanks, Katie!
I’ve never made taco pasta but this looks good! I’ve never had hamburger helper either… I grew up eating lots of homemade dinners. Homemade mac & cheese and roast beef dinners always bring me back to my childhood.
I’m afraid of being home by myself at night too! I thought I was the only one.
Comfort food for me is oven baked grilled cheese, and my mom’s cabbage soup. The soup is pretty healthy already, and I save the grilled cheese for when I really need comfort.
I’ve never made my own taco seasoning, but I definitely have all of the ingredients.
wow, i’m definitely bookmarking this. it looks so good.
This was delicious! I tweaked it a bit because I did not have greek yogurt or cream cheese (I used fat free sour cream) it was very good
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I was wondering when you add the taco seasoning and tomatos, it doesn’t say specifically in the recipe, so I just winged it. I made this for my husband the other night and other then the fact I think 4 Tbsp of taco seasoning was a bit too much for our tastes, it was really good! I wished I had saved some of your Avocado herb dip to go with it, but my husband and I finished that off really fast. ;0)
I’m so sorry, Barbara! It appears that I missed that very important step when typing out the recipe! I added the tomatoes and the taco seasoning at the end of step three, right when the turkey was about finished cooking through. Thank you for bringing this oversight to my attention; I’m going to edit the post right now! I’m glad you enjoyed it! (I’ll also add a note suggesting you start with 3 tbsp taco seasoning and then add more to taste. Again, thank you for sharing!)