an easy one pot meal

If you’re looking for a hearty winter meal, made all in one pan, and that will feed a family . . . then this is it.  I found this recipe on A Family Feast blog, where there are hundreds of delicious looking meals, all in one convenient place.  This recipe is found under the “Easy Meals” tab, and is called “One Pot Tex-Mex Pasta”.

Not only will it feed a family, but if you live alone, like I do, it is great for leftovers so I don’t have to cook every night, and it makes an easy lunch to take to work.  I’m a lazy cook, so I try to make my main meals on the weekend, so I can eat leftovers the rest of the week.  After all, who really feels like cooking when you’ve been at work all day?

I started with a 12-inch skillet and sauted chopped onion, jalapeño pepper, and Italian seasoning together in a couple tablespoons of hot olive oil.

Add hamburger and Italian sausage and cook until browned.  The recipe, which I’ll share at the end of the post, calls for just half a pound of Italian sausage, but I used the whole pound because I like it’s flavor better than hamburger.

Then you dump in dry cellentani pasta, salsa, chicken broth, tomato paste, canned diced tomatoes, corn, and black beans.

Changes I made to the recipe were simple and practical .  I used frozen corn instead of canned corn because it’s what I already had.  And instead of using just 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, I used the whole 6 oz. can because I didn’t want to waste it.

Stir it all together, cover and simmer until the pasta is tender.

While the meat and vegetables are cooking, dice up several fresh Roma tomatoes and avocado.

Sprinkle the fresh tomato and avocado on top, and then add the shredded cheese.  I used Pepper Jack cheese instead of just plain Monterey Jack to add a little extra kick.  Cover again for 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.  Remove the lid and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

And your meal is ready to serve.

Not only is it delicious and an easy meal to make, but it is colorful and pretty – perfect for serving to a small crowd, whether family or company.

It could easily be served with a dollop of sour cream on top and tortilla chips on the side  . . .  a perfect meal for a cold snowy day.

Since recipes are copy righted, I’m attaching the link for the recipe, where you can also find a printable copy.  Be sure to visit and check out all the other recipes shared on this beautiful blog.

Recipe:   A Family Feast One Pot Tex-Mex Pasta