TACO AVOCADO MAC & CHEESE

Hello, dear readers! I've got a good 30-minute dinner for you today.

When I first stumbled upon this recipe for avocado mac and cheese, it kind of grossed me out. I don't remember what possessed me to try it, but for some reason I did, and now it's a weekly staple in our apartment. It's delicious. So creamy and cheesy and perfect. Actually, it's my husband's favorite meal now. (That pretty big because normally he complains when we eat meatless.)

As a matter of fact, I want to publicly and officially thank Two Peas and Their Pod for the recipe in the first place. Seriously, awesome. We love it.

I'm surprised I haven't done this sooner, but the other night I added taco meat. Doesn't that sound perfect? I mixed a jar of diced tomatoes in with the meat, and I added lots of extra garlic and cilantro to the avocado sauce. It was really hearty and would make a great meal for a group. Definitely a potluck pleaser. (Keep in mind the avocado sauce is going to get brown after a couple hours, though my husband insists that next-day leftovers taste just as good, despite the yucky color...)

Enjoy! Hope you all have a great week!

TACO AVOCADO MAC AND CHEESE(inspired by this recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod)

PEPPER JACK MAC AND CHEESE

10 ounces pasta (I like to use rotini or elbow macaroni for this dish)
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese

AVOCADO SAUCE
2 large avocados, peeled and pitted
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste

TACO MEAT

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 can diced tomatoes

your favorite taco seasoning*

*I use cumin, chile powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and a hint of coriander. If you want to use store-bought, I highly recommend Trader Joe's brand. 

First cook the meat:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add beef and seasoning and cook until browned. Stir in tomatoes heat 5 more minutes on medium heat. Then reduce heat to low and simmer while you prepare the rest of the dish. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package - on the firm side of al dente. DO NOT overcook the pasta. You don't want it to be mushy for this recipe. 

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauces. 

For the avocado sauce: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. 

For the cheese sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until it forms a paste. Add milk, turn heat to high, and stir with a whisk. Continue stirring for a minute or two to be sure the paste is incorporated (and doesn't burn on the bottom). Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low, stirring often. When it becomes thick (it doesn't take long at all), stir in the cheese until the sauce becomes creamy.

In a large bowl, stir cheese sauce into pasta, then stir in avocado sauce. Finally, stir in the taco meat. 

Enjoy!

NOTE:
The pepper jack cheese is kind of important. It gives the whole dish that special kick. That said, I have made it with other cheeses plenty of times, and it's still good. If for some reason you don't use pepper jack, ease up a bit on the cilantro and the lime juice. Or maybe season your meat hotter than you normally would. 

TEX-MEX BURGER (WITH BLACK BEAN GUAC)

Well, dear reader, we've reached the fourth and final recipe in this little series from my burger test kitchen: the Tex-Mex. In keeping with my "international" theme, I probably could've branched off the continent for my final burger. But seriously, who can turn down Mexican food?

In case you've missed the other recipes from the test kitchen, you can find them here:
The Greek: Spinach-Feta Lamb Burgers (with garlic-dill yogurt sauce)
The Moroccan: Moroccan-Style Burgers (with spiced ketchup)
The American: Bacon-Apple Blue Cheese Burger (with sweet and tangy mayo)

This Tex-Mex burger is a perfect marriage of Mexican and American good-time foods. Mix ground beef with green chiles and steak sauce, then top the burgers with a spicy and refreshing guac. Perfection, I think. I placed this burger in second place, after The American. One of my taste testers placed it first, but in a tie with the American.

Here we go: The Tex-Mex.

Tex-Mex Burger with Black Bean Guac

Burger portion of this recipe adapted from KraftRecipes' Texas-Style Burgers.

Makes 8 sliders (or 4 regular-sized burgers).

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup steak sauce
1 small can (4-oz.) chopped green chiles
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
sliced pepperjack cheese
1 recipe black bean guacamole (below)
hamburger buns for serving
romaine lettuce for topping

Combine beef, steak sauce, chiles, and seasoning salt. Form into 4 equal patties. Cook over medium-high heat on non-stick skillet until desired doneness. Just before burgers are done: top with slices of pepperjack cheese, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook until cheese is melted.

Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato, and black bean guacamole.

Black Bean Guacamole

1/2 cup black beans
2 large avocados
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Cut avocado in half lengthwise and remove seed. Using a large spoon, scoop the meat out of the skin.

In a small bowl, mash black beans and lime juice loosely with a fork. Add avocado, salt, cayenne, cumin, and garlic. Mash together until avocado is smooth. Stir in tomato, onion, and cilantro.

For the most flavor, cover and let sit 30 minutes before serving.

Note: Don't omit the lime or cilantro. Both will balance out the spiciness, and lime will delay the avocado from browning.