Gluten Free Mexican Taco Nacho Mac and Cheese Recipe (2024)

April 21, 2015 by Jeanette 14 Comments

This Gluten Free Mexican Taco Nacho Mac and Cheese is a quick and easy dinner idea that comes together in less than 30 minutes. Sponsored by Horizon Organics.

My youngest son is a little foodie just like his older brothers, although I’d say he takes it to the next level. He has his own signature spice/herb blend that he sprinkles on top ofjust about everything he eats(we even bottled it up to make it look official). Heis also the king of condiments (chimichurriandguasacaca avocado “green sauce”are two of his favorites), and he lovesfood with lots of flavor. Great flavor alone isn’t enough however – he likes the contrast ofcrunchy and creamy textures, cool and hot temperatures, and a touch of spicy heat.

So recently, when I picked his brain on how to turn a box of Horizon Organic Gluten-Free Macaroni and White Cheddar Cheese into something special, he came up with this Gluten Free Mexican TacoNacho Macaroni and Cheesewhich incorporates everything he loves abouttacos and nachos.

Turkey taco meat is mixed in with creamy macaroni and cheese, and it’s all topped off with cool avocado, red onion, spicysalsa, and crunchy taco seasoned panko crumbs. In my book, the best part abouttacos, nachos and this Mexican inspired macaroni and cheese are all the toppings and mix-ins.There are so many possibilities.

12 Healthy Gluten-Free Mexican Dinner Toppings and Mix-Ins

• Black beans or pinto beans
• Avocado
• Fresh tomato
• Tomato salsa or salsa verde
• Corn (try pan roasting – it brings out the sweetness)
• Red onions
• Scallions
• Cilantro
• Pickled jalapenos
• Plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
• Taco seasoned gluten-free panko crumbs
• Fresh lime juice

I love getting my son involved in the kitchen, whether it’scoming up with ideas on what to make for a snack or dinner, how to spice up a dish or add some crunch to it. It makes him feel good thathe’s helped conjure upsomething delicious that we all can enjoy. One of the benefits of getting him more activein the kitchen is that I can teach him about the importance of making betterfood choices, which hopefully will travel with him when he eventuallygoes off to college.

3 Fun Ways To Get Your Kids Active In The Kitchen

If you’d like to get your kids more active in the kitchen, here arethree fun ways that have helped encourage my sonto be more curious about the foods heeats and how they’re prepared:

1. Try to recreate their favorite restaurant foods at home. Twoof my son’s favorite restaurant foods arecreamy tomato basil soupand arepas, so we recreated delicious homemade versions at home, and my son was theexpertjudge.
2. Take one of your kids’ favorite foods and come up withdifferent ways to serve it. For example, my son loves tacos and nachos, so in addition to today’s recipe for Gluten Free Mexican Taco Nacho Mac and Cheese, we’ve madeGluten-Free Mexican Turkey Taco Meatloaf Muffinsand Gluten-Free Turkey Taco Pizza.
3. Experiment with foods your child wants to make. I like to think of my kitchen as a chemistry lab for fun – a place we can try new ingredientsand create whatever our hearts desire. We made Nutella powder for fun which sparked my son’s idea of making ice cream powder. Although we haven’t figured out how to make ice cream powder successfully yet, it peaked his interest in the kitchen. The idea is to make your child believe that the possibilities are endless in the kitchen – experimentation is all part of the fun.

For more ideas and quick and easy dinner recipes, follow Horizon Organic onFacebook,twitterand check outtheirHorizon’s Mealtimes Solutions Pinterest Board.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organics. The opinions and text are all mine.