Thank you to Safeway for sponsoring this Cheesy Chili Pasta Bake recipe. You are going to love this quick, easy, hearty meal, and so will your kids!
Before I get to today’s recipe, I want to talk about an important problem that many families face and an easy way we can help.
Did you know that 1 in 5 children in America live in a home without enough food to eat? That is unreal to me since so many of us have more food than we need. It is very expensive to live in San Francisco, and there are a lot of very wealthy people here. How then are people going hungry in my community? Why do some people have so much while others have so little? We do have an excellent food bank in our city, but I think they just can’t reach everyone who needs help.
There is a misconception that hunger is a problem of homeless people or families obviously living in poverty, but this is a problem that affects many hard working families, especially in places with a high cost of living. You can’t know just by looking at someone if they have the means to adequately feed themselves and their families.
I truly feel that it is the responsibility of those of us who are comfortable to help those who struggle. If you’re like me, the problem of hunger in America feels overwhelming, and you don’t know how you can help. Fortunately, there are organizations who do know what to do, and we can support their good work.
Safeway stores partnered with the Hunger Is foundation, which is working to expand school breakfast programs for kids who need it. Over 22 million boys and girls rely on free or reduced-price school lunch, and I’m grateful that they have that meal secured every weekday. However, nearly half of those children don’t have free or reduced-price breakfast available at school. That means they may be coming to school hungry and having to wait until lunch to get food into their growing bodies. How can they learn, play, socialize, and do all the other things they are meant to do at school every morning if they are hungry?
If you would like to learn more about this organization or find out how you can help, just check out their website for more information.
I thought I would write a recipe today that I hope families can make to fill up their kids’ bellies at dinner. It’s a pretty affordable dish if you already have the seasonings you need in your pantry and can buy meat and cheese on sale or in bulk. (You can also check out my post about how I save money on meat.) I hope you enjoy this Chili Pasta Bake, and please do consider supporting the good work Hunger Is is doing if you can!
Watch my how-to recipe video!
Cheesy Chili Pasta Bake
You’ll love this quick and easy version of chili mac, and so will your kids!
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bite-sized pasta
- 16 ounces ground beef or turkey
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix (about 1/2 packet)
- 15 ounces O Organics chili beans drained
- 15 ounces O Organics diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano drained
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese divided
Instructions
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Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. (If you have a wide, deep pot like a dutch oven, you can also use this for the baking step to save dishes!)
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
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While pasta cooks, spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add meat and taco seasoning to the hot skillet. Brown and crumble the meat, stirring in the seasoning, until cooked through. If you use lean meat, you will not need to drain it.
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In a baking dish (I used the same pot I cooked the pasta in), stir together pasta, cooked meat, beans, tomatoes, and one cup of the cheese.
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Spread the remaining cup of cheese evenly over the chili mac, and place the pot in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
This recipe also makes great leftovers!
- Prep Time: 30
More kid-friendly pasta dishes:
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons Companies & Hunger Is. The opinions and text are all mine.
daniel says
Too many parents just don’t know how to cook. I have friends like that, all they’re meals are processed. It’s great that you make these awesome recipes available to all .Hope this will make it easier for those inspiring parents to be. Sure helps me when Planing meals for my family. Keep them coming Chef, cheers Daniel C.
Debra says
This recipe sounds great! Can’t wait to try it. I will probably use half of the meat and maybe add more beans. My son’s school has a Food Pantry Drive every month for different places and it has really taught him that people are not as blessed as we are. We go once a month and shop so we can donate.
Dee says
Even my picky eaters would love this pasta, and what an awesome cause! I can’t imagine any child going hungry, and this is such an easy way to help. Just checked the list, and we use a lot of these already!
Krista says
One of the best looking 30 minute meals ever!
patricia @ grab a plate says
What a great dish! I used to work at a food bank here in Phoenix, and for sure hunger is not only a problem for homeless. So many families are so needy. Great promo with Safeway!
Andi Gleeson says
I agree! I’m really happy to promote it. Thank you, Patricia :)
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen says
There are definitely too many people going hungry right here in our country. I will keep my eyes peeled for those tags! And yummm, I love that this simple dish is packed with so much goodness.
Andi Gleeson says
Thank you, Heather <3
carrie @ frugal foodie mama says
It is just unreal to me that as much as this country has we actually have kids not getting enough to eat. What a tasty way to help the cause! :) And I love this recipe- so budget friendly.
Andi Gleeson says
I can’t understand it either. So much food goes to waste, but people are going hungry. Like I said, I can’t wrap my head around the problem, but I try to support the groups that know how to make a real difference! Thank you, Carrie :)
Liz says
What a delicious weeknight meal! Perfect for my hubby who can be a picky eater!! I’m going to click through to see all the products that will help fight hunger this month—thanks!!
Andi Gleeson says
My husband isn’t too picky (as long as broccoli isn’t involved), but my kids sure are! Even they liked this, so that’s a major success at our house. Thanks, Liz!
Heather Kinnaird says
all kids deserve a delicious home cooked meal like this one! hopefully Safeway raises a lot of money for this campaign, I donate every time I shop
Andi Gleeson says
I hope so too, Heather. Thank you!!