Taco Pasta Bowls combine two ethnic-inspired flavors that teens enjoy: Italian and Mexican. But, of course, the end result is an all-American dish.

DAVID EULITT

Make your own taco pasta bowl dish with simple ingredients, pasta, cheese, beans and meat.

A playful variation of macaroni and cheese with a little extra fiber, thanks to the chili beans, savvy marketers say the way to get teens to try new things is to combine a familiar flavor with a new, unexpected flavor. The potential for experimentation with such bowl-based meals is limitless. Change the choice of bean, meat or cheese, and you have a slightly different bowl.

Shopping tip: Ground round is around 11 percent lean.

Be sure to read the nutrition label on enchilada sauce as sodium contents vary from brand to brand.

Pump it up: Instead of regular pasta, upgrade to a whole-grain version for more fiber and health-promoting phytochemicals.

Instead of ground sirloin, try leaner ground turkey or chicken.

Top bowl with lettuce or other leafy green and a fresh salsa. Add fruit and milk for a full meal deal.

Cook ground round in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to crumble; drain. Stir in chili beans, tomatoes, green chilies, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Add pasta to mixture and heat 3 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted and well blended. Serve in bowls. Makes 6 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 357 (35% fat) Fat 14 g (6 g sat) Cholesterol 44 mg Sodium 480 mg Fiber 6 g Carbohydrates 38 g Protein 18 g