Equipment Needed
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Large, deep skillet or Dutch oven
- Colander
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Tongs
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, put a large pot of salted water on to boil for your spaghetti. While that heats, let’s build the sauce. In your large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and chopped onion together, breaking up the beef with your spoon. Cook until the beef is fully browned and the onion is soft, about 7-8 minutes. Drain any excess grease, but leave a little bit for flavor. Now, sprinkle the entire packet of taco seasoning over the beef and onion. Stir and cook for another minute until incredibly fragrant—this is when your kitchen starts to smell amazing.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. To the seasoned beef, add the entire can of undrained Rotel tomatoes and green chilies. Stir to combine, letting the mixture bubble for a minute. Now, add your cubes of room-temperature cream cheese. This is the fun part. Stir constantly as the cream cheese slowly melts into the tomatoes and beef, creating a thick, orange-pink, creamy amalgamation. It will look a bit strange at first but keep stirring; it will come together into a cohesive sauce. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
Once the cream cheese is fully melted and incorporated, slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream while stirring. This will loosen the sauce to a perfect, silky consistency. Let it simmer gently for 2-3 minutes to heat through and thicken slightly. Then, turn the heat to the lowest setting and stir in both the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses until they’re completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Remember, the taco seasoning and cheese are salty, so taste first!(See the next page below to continue…)