A Twist on Taco-Filled Pasta Shells or Creamy Taco Pasta

Recently I posted a blog about mixing cuisines with Taco-Filled Pasta Shells.  Tonight, I gave that recipe a twist. 

In preparation for a Once-a-month cooking day on Saturday, I am trying to clean out all those leftovers that accumulate in the refrigerator.  Things like dilled-cream cheese from the ADX Tea, pasta from a pasta party, pizza from the potluck, and my experiment with a homemade taco seasoning.  I didn't want to start a fresh big meal tonight.  So many boundaries I set!  Here's what I came up with.

I warmed the bag of cooked pasta (Ziti).  You can do this by microwave or by dropping the Ziploc-style in a pot of boiling water, bag included.  You don't want to cook it, just warm it.

In a saucepan, I warmed the taco meat (ground turkey cooked with taco seasoning) and then added 8 oz. cream cheese (cold) and stirred until the mixture was smooth.  To this I added about 2/3 C taco sauce (happened to be Taco Bell Brand in a bottle).

When the pasta was warm, I mixed it with the meat sauce for a yummy, flavorful entrée.  Yahoo!  Two leftovers used up, and I know my family will devour this tonight.  Serve it with a salad or fresh fruit.

Follow this meal with desserts from the freezer.  :)