Creamy Taco Ranch Beef Noodles

Name: Creamy Taco Ranch Beef Noodles (Slow Cooker)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef, cooked and crumbled; 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning mix; 1 (1 oz) packet ranch seasoning mix; 2 cups beef broth; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 1 cup heavy cream; 1/2 cup sour cream; 12 oz penne pasta, cooked

Creamy Taco Ranch Beef Noodles is a slow cooker one-pot meal that combines seasoned ground beef, penne pasta, and a tangy cream sauce flavored with taco and ranch mixes. It delivers restaurant-quality creaminess with minimal hands-on time.

⚡Slow Cooker

🌍American 🏷️Creamy pasta 🏷️Taco pasta 🏷️Ranch pasta 🏷️Ground beef Slow cooker

🏷️

🏷️One-pot meal

-0:00

seanyboycooksonTikTok

Total

1h 20m

Servings

4

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$17–$28

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From TikTok · by seanyboycooks

-0:00

seanyboycooksonTikTok

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef, cooked and crumbled
1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning mix
1 (1 oz) packet ranch seasoning mix
2 cups beef broth
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
12 oz penne pasta, cooked

8 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
In a slow cooker, combine the cooked ground beef, taco seasoning packet, and ranch seasoning packet.
2
Pour in the beef broth and stir everything together until well combined.
3
Cover the slow cooker and cook for 1 hour.
4
After an hour, remove the lid and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream.
5
Continue stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
6
Add the cooked penne pasta to the slow cooker and stir to coat evenly with the sauce.
7
Place the lid back on and cook for another 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the pasta to heat through.
8
Give it a final stir and serve immediately.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Cook the pasta to al dente separately—it continues to soften in the warm slow cooker sauce and will turn mushy if cooked to completion first.
Stir the heavy cream and sour cream in gently at the end over low heat to prevent the dairy from separating or curdling.
Use full-fat sour cream and heavy cream for the richest, silkiest sauce; light versions can break or thin out.
Brown the ground beef thoroughly and drain excess fat before adding to prevent a greasy finished dish.

Substitutions

Beef broth → chicken broth (slightly lighter flavor, still works well)
Cheddar cheese → Monterey Jack or pepper jack (adds a sharper or spicier note)
Heavy cream + sour cream → 2 cups whole milk + 2 tbsp cornstarch (less rich, thinner sauce)
Penne → rotini or rigatoni (holds sauce the same way)

Storage & make-ahead

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce, or freeze up to 2 months.

Equipment

slow cooker

Common Questions

Can I make this on the stovetop instead of a slow cooker?

Yes. Brown the beef, add broth and seasonings, bring to a simmer, then add cooked pasta, cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream. Stir until melted and heated through, about 5–10 minutes.