Are you the kind of cook that looks through your pantry and wonders what could I make with these ingredients? If you are, you’ll appreciate this recipe for Mexican Goulash. I’d been working hard writing and editing, but I still had to put something on the table for dinner. I knew I had ground meat. I knew I had dried pasta. My pantry is full of seasonings and canned goodies. But I had no ideas running through my head.

When I get like this, I usually do one of two things: Italian or Mexican. Since I had more Mexican-themed ingredients on hand, including home-canned chili beans, that’s the way I went. The ingredients can obviously be changed to include things you have on hand in your pantry, and amounts are approximate. This is a throw-it-together-quick casserole that comes together quick for those busy nights, and you can top each serving with shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole or taco sauce if you prefer.

Baked Mexican Goulash

1 box dried macaroni or rotini pasta

1 pound ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 pint chili beans

1/2 cup salsa

1 small can sliced black olives

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and taco sauce (optional)

Cook dried pasta according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, brown the ground beef until no longer pink; drain. Return the browned beef to the skillet, and add the package of taco seasoning according to the package instructions. Cook for a few minutes to incorporate the seasoning into the meat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, ground beef mixture, tomatoes, chili beans and salsa. Stir to thoroughly combine. Pour pasta mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Evenly spread the sliced olives over the top of the pasta. Top the casserole with the shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely brown on top and the casserole is bubbly. Top each serving with shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and taco sauce if desired.

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