Afraid you may end up throwing your turkey across the room vs. serving it to your guests? I don’t blame you, hosting Thanksgiving can be overwhelming! How big of a turkey do you need? What can be made ahead? How in the world do you get it all done at the same time?? It’s stressful!
Your Ultimate Holiday Meal Planner for a No-Stress Thanksgiving
After years as a caterer and then years working and cooking meals for my family, and now years developing easy dinner recipes on this blog, I have mastered the art of planning and prepping ahead. So, now I bring all of these plans, tips, tricks, and checklists to you for Thanksgiving! CLICK HERE TO GET THE FREE THANKSGIVING MEAL PLANNER PRINTABLE!
Here is what you will be thankful for when you download this freebie:
Your entire Thanksgiving Meal planned ahead
You will know exactly how to buy, store, prepare, and cook your turkey
A Day-by-Day Prep-Ahead Checklist will help you prepare a little each day during the 7 days before Thanksgiving
Most of the food prepared ahead of Thanksgiving Day
You get to relax and enjoy time with your family on Thanksgiving Day!!
What you will get in this Thanksgiving Meal Planner Printable
PLANNING & PREP TIPS CHECKLIST – When it comes to planning any dinner party, there are a few key things to remember that I learned as a caterer in NYC. Following these tips will help you no matter how big or small the dinner or event. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FREE THANKSGIVING MEAL PLANNER PRINTABLE
PLAN-YOUR-MENU TEMPLATE – You will get a menu template where you can write down your appetizers ideas, main dishes, and side dishes. There is space to list the dish and the ingredients, along with any notes.
PREP-AHEAD SCHEDULE – I have put together a detailed checklist for each day to prepare your kitchen, dining room, and food in the 7 days ahead of Thanksgiving.
THANKSGIVING DAY COOKING & SERVING SCHEDULE – That’s right, you will get an hourly schedule and checklist to completely start and finish your Thanksgiving Meal! You also get a black template so you can create your own.
What Sides to Make Ahead for Thanksgiving Dinner
Here are some recipes to consider for your Thanksgiving table! Each of these can be made entirely ahead or have prep-ahead instructions for doing in advance.
Bright Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette & Parm Crisps
Don’t Miss this Thanksgiving Meal Planning Printable!!
I hope these tips, tricks, guides, templates, and schedules help to make hosting Thanksgiving as easy as possible. Once again, you can get these as part of the FREE Thanksgiving Meal Planner Printable!
What could be better than a big ole pot of pasta with meat and tomato sauce? How about a big ole pot of Southwestern Pasta with Ground Beef, Corn, and Green Chile-Chipotle-Tomato Sauce! The sauce is thick and hearty with ground beef and chunky tomatoes. Then flavor bombs chipotle peppers in adobo, green chiles, and lots of smokey and spicy seasonings are added to bring in the warmth and a slight kick of heat. Corn kernels are added for a pop of sweet and texture, and grated Parmesan thickens up the sauce and adds creaminess. Finally, Pappardelle is mixed in and buttery toasted breadcrumbs are sprinkled on top for crunch.
You can make the sauce ahead and mix in the pasta right before serving for dinner on a busy weekend! Your family will love it.
CHECK OUT THE EASY RECIPE FOR SOUTHWESTERN GROUND BEEF AND CORN
WHAT MAKES THIS SOUTHWESTERN?
Southwestern cuisine is an adaptation of Mexican cuisine that you will typically find in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. It is similar to Tex-Mex which is also an adaptation of Mexican food.
Some of the common ingredients in Southwestern cuisine are chile peppers, corn, and beans. So, what makes this Pasta with Ground Beef Southwestern is honestly a loose interpretation of the cuisine. It’s the addition of the corn, the green chiles and the chipotle peppers in adobo. It’s not true Mexican, though Mexican was an inspiration. And it’s not Italian, though it was also a big inspiration. It’s a mash-up recipe which is how Southwestern cuisine evolved to begin with.
Quick note! This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them. This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :). I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
For this recipe, you will need a large pot for cooking the pasta and a large pot or deep pan for the sauce. I used my dutch oven which is perfect for browning the beef, building the sauce, and then mixing in the pasta.
Oh, and mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
PREP-AHEAD STEPS FOR SOUTHWESTERN PASTA WITH GROUND BEEF
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights!(See the full recipe below)
For this recipe, you can make the sauce entirely ahead! However, assuming that you just want to get ahead before cooking, then you can prep all of the ingredients for the sauce. Open the cans of tomatoes, chiles, and paste. Mince the garlic cloves and the chipotle peppers. Measure out all ingredients and add to a bowl for adding to the cooked beef. Store ingredients in the fridge if doing this ahead of time.
Next, you can husk the corn and remove any corn silk. Using a large knife, cut the kernels from the cob.
Last, using the back of the knife, scrape down the cob to remove any remaining kernels and the corn ‘milk’. Save all corn removed in the fridge until ready to add to the sauce.
COOK YOUR SOUTHWESTERN SAUCE
If you are cooking the sauce right before serving it, then you can start first by getting the pasta water going. If you’re making the sauce ahead to reheat later, no need to worry about the pasta right now.
The sauce all cooks in one big pot, starting with the ground beef and then adding the rest of the ingredients.
Once the tomatoes, tomato paste, green chiles, minced garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo, Beef broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper are in the pot, stir and bring to a light boil. Then reduce the heat down to lowest setting, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, you can toast the breadcrumbs.
When there is just 2-3 minutes left in the sauce cooking time, remove the cover and add the corn. Stir to combine. Then cover again. At the end of the 20 minutes, stir in the parmesan cheese.
Boil the pasta until al dente. Using a Pasta spoon or tongs, transfer the cooked pasta directly from the cooking water to the meat sauce. Gently toss to combine.
RECIPE FAQS
How far in advance can I make this?
The sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead and stored sealed in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze this sauce?
Yes, though I recommend freezing it without the pasta and adding fresh-cooked pasta when you thaw and reheat it. To freeze the sauce, first cool it down in the fridge. Then transfer the sauce to a freezer bag or storage container and seal it airtight. It will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat, you can thaw in the fridge 24 hours ahead. Then reheat it in a bot on the stove, covered, on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring often.
Can I use frozen corn kernels?
Yes, of course! Just add them frozen to the sauce just as instructed for the fresh. The frozen will thaw and warm in the same time the fresh will take to cook.
Can I substitute Ground Chicken or Turkey?
Yes, ground chicken or turkey can very easily be substituted into this recipe. Cook according to the same instructions as the ground beef.
ENJOY! 😍 Carrie
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Get ready for BIG flavor with this Southwestern Pasta with Ground Beef, Corn, and Green Chile-Chipotle-Tomato Sauce! The sauce is thick and hearty with ground beef and chunky tomatoes. Then flavor bombs chipotle peppers in adobo, green chiles, and lots of smokey and spicy seasonings are added to bring in the warmth and a slight kick of heat. Corn kernels are added for a pop of sweet and texture, and grated Parmesan thickens up the sauce and adds creaminess. Finally, Pappardelle is mixed in and is the perfect vehicle for carrying all of this goodness. You can make the sauce ahead and mix in the pasta right before serving for dinner on a busy weekend! Your family will love it.
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American, Mexican, Southwestern
Keyword
corn, ground beef, meat sauce, pasta, southwestern pasta
Prep Time10minutes
Cook Time30minutes
Total Time40minutes
Servings6servings
AuthorCarrie Tyler
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
1poundLean Ground BeefI used 90% lean
1teaspoonExtra-virgin olive oil
15ouncesDiced Tomatoes
2tablespoonsTomato Paste
4ouncesGreen Chiles
2clovesGarlic, minced(about 2 teaspoons minced)
1tablespoonChipotle Peppers in Adobo, minced
2cupsBeef Broth
1tablespoonChili Powder
1tablespoonGround Cumin
1tablespoonDried Oregano
2teaspoonsSalt
1teaspoonBlack Pepper
Final Sauce Ingredients
1/2cupGrated Parmesan Cheese
1Corn Cob or 1 cup frozen corn kernels
12ouncesFettuccine Pasta, uncooked
1/2cupPanko Breadcrumbs
1tablespoon Butter, salted
Instructions
Prep-Ahead Steps
MEASURE. Open the cans of tomatoes, chiles, and paste. Mince the garlic cloves and the chipotle peppers. Measure out all ingredients and add to a bowl for adding to the cooked beef. Store ingredients in the fridge if doing this ahead of time.
PREP CORN. Husk the corn and remove any corn silk. Using a large knife, cut the kernels from the cob. Last, using the back of the knife, scrape down the cob to remove any remaining kernels and the corn 'milk'. Save all corn removed in the fridge until ready to add to the sauce.
Cooking Steps
PASTA WATER. Fill a wide/large pot with 6-8 cups of water for the pasta. Heat on high to bring to a boil for dropping the pasta after the meat sauce is ready.
COOK BEEF. Preheat a dutch oven or large and deep pot/pan on high heat. Add the olive oil and the ground beef. Break the beef up with a spatula and then let it cook, stirring every few minutes to break it up and brown on all sides. Should take about 8 minutes for all pink to be gone.
COOK SAUCE. Once the beef is cooked, add all of the other Meat Sauce Ingredients – tomatoes, tomato paste, green chiles, minced garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo, Beef broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir and bring to a light boil. Then reduce the heat down to lowest setting, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
CORN & PARMESAN. When there is just 2-3 minutes left in the sauce cooking time, remove the cover and add the corn. Stir to combine. Then cover again. At the end of the 20 minutes, stir in the parmesan cheese.
PASTA. Once the pasta water is boiling (but no sooner than 5 minutes remaining on the meat sauce cooking time!), add a splash of Olive Oil and a pinch of salt. Add the pasta and stir so that it all is immersed in the water and doesn't stick it itself. Boil the pasta until al dente. Using a Pasta spoon or tongs, transfer the cooked pasta directly from the cooking water to the meat sauce. Gently toss to combine.
BREADCRUMBS. Preheat a small pan on medium-low heat. Add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Toast the breadcrumbs, stirring constantly, just until they start to brown.
SERVE. Serve the Southwestern Beef and Corn Pasta on a platter or individual plates. Garnish with the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Enjoy!
