Spaghetti Tacos

Any iCarly fans out there? Some of you without kids may have never even heard of iCarly, but those with kids surely have seen an episode or two (at least) of this fun-filled television show on Nickelodeon. I have to admit, even as an adult, I love watching this show with the kids. It's really entertaining and full of witty, good-natured humor.

Anyways, in many of the episodes of iCarly, Carly, Sam, and Freddy can be seen chowing down on Spencer's signature dish- Spaghetti Tacos. The first time I saw it, I thought to myself that that sounded like a disgusting combination. However, after seeing it numerous times, my curiosity started to peak more and more and I started to wonder if it might actually be pretty tasty. The kids started asking for them, so at that point I figured it was worth a shot to try them out. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed them! The kids loved them, too, but that was not nearly as surprising as the fact that the adults loved them, too! They are unique, there is no doubt about that, but strangely satisfying. I invite you to step outside of your comfort zone and give these a try!



Here is a pic to give you a visual idea of this crazy combination and how it all comes together.

Hungry yet?

You should be! (Trust me...)

As I was brainstorming this dish in my head, I wanted to try to create these Spaghetti Tacos in a way that was neither too Mexican nor too Italian in nature, but that really brought out flavors that are often seen in both Mexican and Italian food. So, with that in mind, here is what I came up with.

Spaghetti Tacos

- 1 lb. lean hamburger

- 1/2 cup onion, diced

- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

- 1/4 tsp. chili powder

- 1/4 tsp. paprika

- 1/4 tsp. seasoned salt

- 1/4 tsp. black pepper

- 1/8 tsp. cumin

- 1/2 tsp. oregano

- 1 lb. spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained as directed

- 1 jar of your favorite tomato-based spaghetti sauce

- 12 hard taco shells

- Shredded cheese, for topping

1. Start by boiling your water for the spaghetti noodles. While the water is coming to a boil, start browning your hamburger and onion in a large skillet. Add noodles to boiling water and cook as directed.

2. Once the hamburger is mostly browned, add the garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, seasoned salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano. Stir in well to mix and continue to brown hamburger until cooked through. Drain any excess fat.

3. To the hamburger mixture, add about 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce. Stir in and continue to cook over low heat until warm throughout.

4. Heat the remaining spaghetti sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, cooking just long enough to heat throughout.

5. Once noodles have been drained, add a couple ladles of spaghetti sauce to the noodles to lightly coat the noodles and keep them from sticking to each other and getting stiff.

6. At this point, all of your different components are ready and you can start building your spaghetti tacos. Fill your taco shell with the saucy noodles, top with the meat sauce, then spoon a little extra sauce on top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese to finish. Or, if you want the cheese to melt a little more, put it on top of the meat mixture before the extra sauce.   :)



So, while you're in complete awe that this dish is actually successful, sit back, relax, and enjoy! You should have a perfect balance of Mexican and Italian flavors that compliment each other nicely and come together perfectly to create a surprisingly delicious dinner. The kids will love you, and it will give you a nice little vacation from adulthood, too!

P.S. This dinner gets messy! Be prepared, and don't say I didn't warn you!