Mexican Stuffed Shells

This flavorful Mexican Stuffed Shells recipe is tasty taco meat stuffed pasta shells that are covered in enchilada sauce, salsa, and cheese and baked up hot and bubbling! Top them with your choice of taco garnishes for a stuffed shell that is full of great texture too. It’s a delicious all-in-one-meal idea that’s made for busy weeknights, lazy weekends, or just a simple Taco Tuesday!

Most stuffed shell recipes are easy to make and even more fun to eat with a wide variety of combinations making the options endless for all palates! This Mexican Stuffed Shells recipe is no different. They are a mix of fancy and fun that pleases both adults and kids alike! While I knew this was a ‘safe’ kid-friendly recipe, I actually started off calling them mini tacos just so my kids would accept this new dish. It worked! And what a relief! I love having this fun new Mexican dish in our meal rotation now!

Mexican Stuffed Shells with Enchilada Sauce

As an easy main dish that can be dressed up or down, stumbling across this Mexican stuffed Shells recipe was like hitting the jackpot! It’s easy to make, fun to eat, and a Mexican dish that’s full of flavor!!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces jumbo pasta shells
  • I know I have a 12-ounce box of shells shown in the picture. Half the time I make them all because some shells will break while cooking. Other times I guesstimate 8 ounces out and just boil 8 ounces.
  • Start boiling the pasta shells right away so they have time to cool. Filling hot shells is no fun!
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 small onion
• 4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 1 package or 2 ounces of taco seasoning
• 1 cup of salsa
• 10 ounce can of green chile enchilada sauce
  • I use mild green chile enchilada sauce because my kids hate spice, and this dish still has tons of flavor.
• 8 ounces of Mexican/Taco blend shredded cheese
  • I switch it up between Mexican and taco blends of cheese and all seem to be great so do what you love.
• Optional Garnishes for Mexican Stuffed Shells
  • shredded lettuce
  • sour cream
  • hot sauce
  • chopped green onion
  • avocado

Directions

First, Boil and cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package directions. Drain and cool them by running them under cold water. *Do this first so the shells have time to cool before filling.

Then, while the pasta shells are cooking, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion until the beef is no longer pink. Make sure to break up the beef while it’s browning into a crumble. Once, it is browned, drain off the fat and return the beef back to the skillet. Add the cream cheese and taco seasoning and mix thoroughly. If needed, add a tablespoon or two of milk to thin the mixture if it gets too thick.

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Third, take a tablespoon or two of the taco meat and stuff each pasta shell. Place stuffed shells into a 9×13 inch baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Repeat this process until the meat is gone and the baking dish is filled with stuffed shells.

Next, add the green chile enchilada sauce and salsa to a medium bowl and mix. Evenly pour this over the stuffed shells and cover the dish with foil.

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Lastly, bake the Mexican stuffed shells at 350°F for 30 minutes. Then uncover the dish, sprinkle the Mexican shredded cheese blend on top, and bake the shells for an additional 10 minutes. Serve warm with your choice of toppings. We love to keep it simple with shredded lettuce and some sour cream or hot sauce. Enjoy!

Other Great Main Meal Ideas

This impossibly Easy Taco Pie recipe is made up of delicious taco meat, corn, and black beans layered with flour tortillas, sour cream, and cheese for a cheesy, Mexican-inspired dish perfect for your next dinner.

This Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole recipe is sweet and tangy homemade sloppy joes mixed with corn and topped with melty cheddar cheese and crisp golden brown tater tots. This is an all-in-one, kid-friendly meal that makes it easy to feed the whole family.

These Sheet Pan Hamburgers are simply-seasoned bulk ground beef pressed into a baking sheet and baked in the oven for perfectly juicy hamburger patties that everyone can love.

A flaky, golden-brown pie shell filled with a creamy mixture of shredded chicken, tender vegetables, and cheddar cheese makes Chicken Pot Pie the perfect all-in-one meal idea. Made with frozen vegetables and pre-made pie crusts, this easy chicken recipe is simple to execute but still full of all the traditional flavors you come to expect from a great pot pie.