Description
Comfort meets creativity in this loaded cheddar ranch beef and sweet corn rotini bake, a hearty meal that blends zesty ranch, tender beef, and sweet corn. Creamy, cheesy goodness awaits with each forkful, promising a satisfying dinner that brings family and friends together.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 1 (15 oz/425 g) can sweet corn, drained
- 1 (10.5 oz/298 g) can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup crispy fried onions or crushed Ritz crackers (for crunch)
- 1 packet (1 oz/28 g) ranch seasoning mix
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for a little spice)
- 2 tbsps fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Boil salted water and cook rotini until perfectly tender, then drain and set aside.
- Beef Sauté: In a large skillet, brown ground beef with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika over medium-high heat, draining excess fat if necessary.
- Creamy Fusion: Reduce heat and blend ranch seasoning, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and milk into the beef, creating a rich, velvety sauce.
- Cheese and Corn Integration: Fold in sweet corn and first portion of cheddar cheese until smoothly combined and melted.
- Pasta Merger: Thoroughly incorporate cooked rotini with beef mixture, ensuring every pasta curve is generously coated.
- Baking Assembly: Transfer to a greased baking dish, top with remaining cheddar cheese, and cover with foil.
- Oven Transformation: Bake at 375F (190C) for 20 minutes, then unveil and sprinkle crispy fried onions or crushed crackers for added crunch.
- Final Bake and Garnish: Return to oven for 5-7 minutes until golden and effervescent, then rest briefly before garnishing with fresh parsley and serving.
Notes
- Cook rotini al dente to prevent mushiness, ensuring it maintains a slight bite when mixed with creamy beef sauce.
- Remove excess beef grease to prevent a greasy dish and maintain a clean, rich flavor profile.
- Stir cheese gradually and reduce heat to prevent separation, creating a smooth and creamy sauce consistency.
- Swap ground beef with turkey or plant-based crumbles, use gluten-free pasta, and choose low-fat dairy alternatives for different dietary requirements.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg