Hey y’all! Happy Wednesday! Only a few more days ’til the weekend which means Cinco de Mayo is that much closer. And even better, margaritas galore! Unless you’re celebrating the Kentucky Derby instead in which case you may prefer a Mint Julep. But let’s get real here, margarita > mint julep.

To keep with the Cinco de Mayo theme, I whipped up this pasta and OH EM GEE you need to try it.

I stole the idea from Kristin and adapted it a little to what I had on hand. To be totally transparent, I totally forgot to take chicken out to thaw or else I would have used it but this was great without the meat. Good thing Tyler was working late ’cause I know that would have been the first thing out of his mouth. “What no meat?”

You start by whipping up this creamy and cheesy sauce to dress your pasta noodles. Have I mentioned how much I love things that are creamy and cheesy?

Since I was making this sans meat, I added in mushrooms. I’ve decided mushrooms sometimes can allude you to thinking there is actually meat in the dish. You know, portobella burgers and that kinda thing. Maybe that’s just me.

I followed Kristin’s lead and tasted it with a tortilla chip to make sure it was safe for consumption. I’m all about safety here people. ;) Don’t worry, it was totally safe and I probably could have just sat down with the bag of chips and pot of sauce and been totally satisfied but that’s just too easy.

Instead all of standard taco or enchilada toppings, I simplified it and just added additional sour cream and pickled jalapenos. The sauce gives the pasta enough flavor but feel free to add whatever floats your boat.

Cheesy Enchilada Pasta
Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

  • 1 box bow tie pasta
  • 1 10oz can red enchilada sauce
  • 1 8oz container of pre-sliced mushrooms
  • 1 4oz can of diced green chiles
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used Texas Pete)
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup light sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions or until al dente. Drain and add back in pot.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add in oil. Add in onions and mushrooms and let those cook down for a 5ish minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Add in enchilada sauce, hot sauce, chiles, salt, cumin, and chili powder and stir to combine. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in cheese and sour cream and stir until the cheese is thoroughly melted.

Pour sauce over cooked pasta and mix until the pasta is thoroughly coated. Serve with desired toppings.

Since I made a whole box of pasta, I’ll be eating this for a good couple of days but I’m OK with that. The creaminess of the sauce and pasta kind of reminded me of mac and cheese. We all know that certainly can’t be a bad thing!

Now, I’m off to read some more of Food Blogging for Dummies since I’ve been seriously slacking. Goodnight y’all!