Zesty taco pasta will bowl over picky teens
Posted on Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Throughout the fast-food industry, “bowl-based meals” are all the rage. When Taco Bell began its bowl blitz in 2002, the company’s executives launched a $ 20 million ad campaign based on extensive consumer research they said revealed that an overwhelming majority of consumers eat out of bowls at least once a week, according to Restaurant Business. Playing on this trend, Taco Pasta Bowls combine two ethnic-inspired flavors that teens enjoy: Italian and Mexican. But, of course, the end result is an all-American dish. A playful variation of macaroni and cheese with a little extra fiber, thanks to the chili beans, savvy marketers say the way to get teens to try new things is to combine a familiar flavor with a new, unexpected flavor. The potential for experimentation with such bowl-based meals is limitless. Change the choice of bean, meat or cheese, and you have a slightly different bowl.
Taco Pasta Bowl 1 / 2 pound ground beef, such as ground round 1 (15 1 / 2-ounce ) can chili beans (do not drain ) 1 (10-ounce ) can diced tomatoes 2 ounces chopped green chilies 1 (10-ounce ) can enchilada sauce 2 teaspoons chili powder 3 / 4 teaspoon cumin 1 / 2 teaspoon garlic powder 3 cups cooked pasta shells 1 cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese 1 / 2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to crumble; drain. Stir in chili beans, tomatoes, green chilies, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes.
Add pasta to mixture and heat 3 minutes.
Stir in cheeses until melted and well-blended.
Serve in bowls.
Makes 6 servings.
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