Description
This Quick Taco Pasta Salad is a hearty and flavorful dish packed with seasoned ground beef, rotini pasta, fresh vegetables, cheese, and crunchy Doritos, all tossed in tangy French dressing. Perfect for potlucks, parties, or an easy family meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 tbsp taco seasoning
- 14 oz rotini pasta
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 16 oz grape tomatoes, halved
- 2.5 cups cheddar jack cheese, shredded
- 3 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- 12 oz French dressing
- 9.75 oz Doritos, crushed
Instructions
1. Dice the green pepper, chop the yellow onion, halve the grape tomatoes, and shred the iceberg lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Set aside along with the sliced black olives.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rotini pasta until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart as it cooks until no pink remains.
4. Add the taco seasoning and ¼ cup water to the beef, stir well, and simmer for 2–3 minutes until the sauce coats the meat.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, seasoned ground beef, diced green pepper, diced onion, tomatoes, lettuce, shredded cheese, and black olives.
6. Pour the French dressing over the mixture and toss thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
7. Just before serving, crush the Doritos into bite-sized pieces and gently fold them into the salad to keep them crunchy.
Notes
Add the Doritos right before serving to keep them from getting soggy.
This salad can be made slightly ahead of time, but wait to add the lettuce and chips until serving for the best texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 55mg