Baked Mexican Spaghetti

5 from 25 votes

Give your next spaghetti dinner a twist of fusion and flavor by making this Baked Mexican Spaghetti in your cast iron skillet.

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Rest Time5

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 561kcal

Author: Ned Adams

Equipment

12" Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti cooked
1 lb ground beef
½ cup onion finely diced
2 teaspoon cumin ground
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano dried
1½ teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon salt +/- to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper +/- to taste
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
24 ounces Mexican cheese blend
¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
2 scallions chopped

Optional Toppings

sour cream
salsa

US Standard - Metric

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook spaghetti noodles one minute less than package directions.
In a 12" cast iron skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and onions. Once halfway cooked, drain any renderings.
Add all the herbs and spices and continue to cook until the meat is done.
Add tomatoes; stir well then add the cooked spaghetti; mix until spaghetti is well coated.
Add about half of the cheese, stirring well to mix into the pasta.
Spread the remaining cheese evenly over the top, sprinkle the green onions and cilantro.
Cover with lid or loosely with foil. Bake covered for 20 minutes.
Remove cover and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with sour cream and salsa; enjoy.

Outdoor Camp Oven

Make the complete recipe up to mixing in half the cheese leaving for camp.
Heat coals in a charcoal chimney.
Once hot, place 12 coals on bottom (camp table, fire pit, etc).
Nestle camp oven on top of the coals.
Add the pre-made pasta to the camp oven, top with remaining cheese, green onions, and cilantro.
Cover with the camp oven lid.
Place heated coals over the entire lid.
Cook for 20 minutes. Check for doneness by using a lid lifter, if not heated through and cheese melted, cook up to an additional 10 minutes.
When done, remove from coals and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa; enjoy.

Notes

I have everything but the cheese blend, how can I still make this?

Mexican cheese blend has standard cheeses you're used but also has quesadilla cheese which is a little bit harder to find. If you want to make this, make your own blend of cheese using Monterey jack, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, and mozzarella. Colby can be used as well.

What can I use instead of crushed tomatoes.

While we love the texture crushed tomatoes give this recipe, you can substitute two undrained cans of petite diced tomatoes and 4-8 ounces of tomato sauce.

Can I use a taco seasoning packet instead of all the individual herbs and spices?

Yes you can. Add taco seasoning packet at the same step as all the spices.

I don't have a cast iron skillet, how do I make this?

Use your regular frying or sauté pans to make the meat mixture. Boil the spaghetti in a large pot, and then combine everything and cook in your favorite oven proof baking dish

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