Description
Rich, cheesy rotini swirled in a savory ranch-beef sauce, punctuated by sweet corn kernels. This baked comfort food delivers maximum flavor. Full instructions and nutritional breakdown included.
Ingredients
- Rotini Pasta (16 ounces)
- Ground Beef (1 pound)
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese (2 cups, shredded)
- Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix (1 packet, 1 ounce)
- Canned Sweet Corn (15 ounces, drained)
- Beef Broth (1 cup)
- Cream Cheese (4 ounces, cubed)
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook the rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain and set aside. Simultaneously, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Drain off any excess grease.
- Step 2: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the beef broth, dry ranch seasoning mix, and cubed cream cheese to the skillet with the cooked beef. Stir continuously until the cream cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth and well combined.
- Step 3: Stir in the drained sweet corn and one cup of the shredded cheddar cheese until thoroughly incorporated. Remove the skillet from the heat and gently fold in the cooked rotini pasta, ensuring all the noodles are coated in the cheddar ranch sauce.
- Step 4: Transfer the entire mixture from the skillet into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining one cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the pasta bake.
- Step 5: Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce is hot and bubbling around the edges and the cheese topping is fully melted and lightly golden. Allow the bake to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To keep leftovers fresh, store the cooled bake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
- For best results when reheating individual servings, drizzle a splash of extra beef broth or milk over the pasta before warming to maintain the creamy texture of the cheddar ranch sauce.
- Balance the richness of this cheesy rotini bake by serving it alongside a bright green salad tossed in a simple lemon vinaigrette.
- When preparing the sauce in Step 2, ensure the cream cheese is truly at room temperature; this drastically reduces stirring time and guarantees a perfectly smooth ranch base.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 610
- Sodium: 1250mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Protein: 6g