MEXICAN STUFFED SHELLS

We’ve been eating a whole lot of chicken, fish, and veggies at our house lately. When my 7 year old son asked what was for dinner last night and I told him grilled chicken and broccoli, he about started crying.

I wanted to join him. I realized we needed a little break from the same old and started brainstorming.

Last time I was in a major dinner rut I stumbled upon this Taco Pasta and heard nothing but praises at the dinner table.

HOW DO YOU MAKE MEXICAN STUFFED SHELLS?
The first step is to cook your filling, which is made up of ground beef, onions and taco seasoning. The meat mixture gets stuffed into pasta shells, and then the shells get nestled into a zesty sauce made from salsa and taco sauce.

You can cook your filling up to one day before you plan to bake your shells. I always put my shells in boiling water at the same time as I start cooking the beef, that way everything is done at the same time.

It was then that I decided the marriage of Mexican and Italian needed to happen again. Stuffed shells with a Mexican twist? Bingo.

I love these Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells…but these Mexican Stuffed Shells are WAY easier and better for a busy day.

These were just what I was hoping they would be.

After you cook your pasta shells place them on a baking sheet so that don’t stick in one big glob at the bottom of your colander. Ahem…guilty here.

TIPS FOR MEXICAN STUFFED SHELLS

• You can use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef if you prefer.
• The sauce is a mixture of mild salsa and taco sauce. You can also use enchilada sauce or a spicy salsa for a different flavor take.
• These shells can be assembled up to 8 hours before you plan to bake them. Simply cover the pan and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to heat them up. You will have to increase the bake time accordingly.
• You can use your favorite kind of cheese for these stuffed shells. I used a combination of cheddar and Monterey jack, but other great choices are pepper jack or colby jack.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion (diced)
• 2 TBS taco seasoning
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 8 oz jumbo pasta shells*
• 10 oz enchilada sauce
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil
2. Boil your pasta shells for about 10 minutes, or until cooked al dente according to package directions. Rinse shells when they're done cooking.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
4. Meanwhile cook up your ground beef and onions over medium high heat until cooked thoroughly.
5. Drain excess grease from the pan. Add in the taco seasoning and stir to mix.
6. Mix in the cream cheese and cook until the cheese is melted throughout. Set aside.
7. Combine your enchilada sauce and salsa in a small bowl.
8. Pour about half of your enchilada sauce salsa mixture into the bottom a 9x13 pan and spread around to cover.
9. Fill each jumbo shell with a heaping 1 TBS of meat mixture and place into the pan with the sauce.
10. Repeat util all the shells or meat mixture is gone.
11. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce salsa mixture over the top of the shells.
12. Wrap pan in aluminum foil.
13. Bake for 30 minutes.
14. Remove foil and top with cheeses.
15. Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

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