The ranch flavour comes from a tablespoon of ranch seasoning stirred into the browned beef with the corn and red pepper. Nothing is drizzled over the top.
The bake is a short one. After 10 to 12 minutes the cheddar on top should be hot and melted in strands, not crusted over.
How to Make It
Oven to 375°F, rotini cooked just al dente
Heat the oven to 375°F. Cook the rotini until just al dente and drain.
Beef browned to 160°F with ranch, corn and pepper
Brown the beef to 160°F and drain. Stir in the ranch seasoning, corn and red bell pepper.
Milk, cream cheese and a cup of cheddar
Add the milk and cream cheese and stir until smooth, then melt in 1 cup of the cheddar and fold in the rotini.
Topped with cheddar and baked just until melted
Transfer to a baking dish, top with the remaining cheddar, and bake 10 to 12 minutes, only until hot and melted rather than crusted. Finish with chives.
Ingredient Notes
- Ranch seasoning
- One tablespoon of the dry mix, stirred into the beef rather than used as a dressing.
- Sweet corn and red bell pepper
- A cup of corn kernels and half a cup of diced red pepper, warmed through with the beef.
- Cheddar
- A cup and a half, divided: one cup melted into the sauce and half a cup over the top.
Why This Recipe Works
- Seasoning the beef directly with ranch mix spreads the flavour through every spoonful of pasta.
- Milk and cream cheese make a smooth base that the first cup of cheddar melts into without separating.
- Cooking the rotini only to just al dente leaves it firm enough to sit in hot sauce through the bake.
- A brief bake melts the top cheddar into soft strands instead of browning it into a crust.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Reheat until steaming hot, adding a splash of milk if the sauce has tightened.
Success Tips
- Stir the cream cheese until no white streaks remain before the cheddar goes in.
- Pull the dish when the top cheddar has just melted; any longer and it starts to crust.
- Spoon it loosely into bowls so the melted strands of cheddar stay on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there ranch dressing on top?
No. The ranch is dry seasoning mixed into the beef, so it flavours the sauce.
Should the top be browned?
No. Bake only until the cheddar is hot and melted, which takes 10 to 12 minutes.
Serving Ideas
Spoon into bowls while hot, lifting some of the melted cheddar from the top onto each portion, and scatter chopped chives over.
