Taco Spaghetti

A taco-flavored ground beef and spaghetti casserole, served topped with shredded lettuce, crushed tortilla chips, tomato wedges and a dollop of sour cream.

Recipe Ingredients:

5 ounces dry spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine, broken up
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup water
1/2 of (1.25-ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix (2 tablespoons)
1 (11-ounce) can whole kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese - divided use
1/2 cup chunky home-style salsa
1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
6 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup or more slightly crushed tortilla chips
1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
Sour cream for accompaniment (optional)

Cooking Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, preferably al dente (firm to the bite). Drain; rinse with cold water and drain again.
2. In a 12-inch skillet cook ground beef and onion until meat is brown. Drain fat. Stir in water and taco seasoning. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in cooked pasta, corn, half of the shredded cheese, the salsa, olives and chile peppers.
4. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 2-quart round casserole dish. Cover and bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.
5. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
6. Serve topped with lettuce, tortilla chips and tomato wedges. If desired, top with a dollop of sour cream.

Makes 6 servings.