Mexican Stuffed Shells
We love Taco Tuesdays. But sometimes we need something a little different than traditional tacos. My family loves when I make them a big pan of my Mexican Stuffed Shells. And they are freezer-friendly also. I make two pans- one to serve and one to freeze.
Freezer Cooking Love
I love freezer cooking. And it’s really simple now that I have a system. Instead of spending a whole day cooking, I just make two of what I make for dinner. One to eat; one for the freezer. Most casseroles and things that I make are easy to just double and freeze. I do it with these Mexican Stuffed Shells, as well as my lasagna, enchiladas, and more.
If you want to learn more about freezer cooking and get some meal-plans and recipes, make sure you check out Once A Month Meals. There’s a FREE meal plan with recipes available for you to check out. Try it and see if it’s right for YOUR family.
Mexican Stuffed Shells
I came up with the idea of these because my husband loves pasta. We used to make traditional stuffed shells with ricotta and tomato sauce all the time. I still do, but I like to switch things up to keep us from getting bored.
The filling is amazing all by itself in these, but adding more cheese and salsa (especially my Sweet & Spicy Salsa) just makes these perfect.
I love most casseroles. Because I make two pans, I hardly ever have enough for a ton of leftovers. And they go fast, so there is typically none left.
It takes longer to bake these than it does to actually make them. And if you have kids in the kitchen, you can have them help you stuff the shells. Once the shells are cooked, and your filling is made, simply stuff the filling into the shells using a spoon. Even the kids will have fun helping you!
Serve with Salad?
I typically serve salad before these as a “filler”. Because all of our kids are basically grown, it comes in handy to have something extra around for them to fill up on. We have a lot of salad and bread on the table when extra people are here.
My quick, go-to salad is just a simple head of iceberg chopped with tomato and cheese. With this dish, I just use the same cheese that goes on the shells. Let each person choose their dressing. I like my homemade ranch, but I also keep a bottle of my Mom’s Spicy French Dressing around since it’s my Dad’s favorite.
Mexican Stuffed Shells
Mexican Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 2 pkg taco seasoning
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 12oz box jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups salsa
- 2 cups taco sauce
- 8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 oz grated Monerey Jack cheese
For Serving
- sour cream
- additional salsa
Instructions
- Brown ground beef: add in taco seasoning and cream cheese.
- Stir until cheese is completely melted and incorporated.
- Set asside beef mixture and let cool completely.
- Cook pasta shells according to package directions.
- Divide salsa evenly into bottom of 2 9×13" pans; spreading out to cover most of the bottom.
- Stuff each shell with 1-2 tbsp of the meat mixture, placing in pans atop salsa with opening side upwards.
- Continue until all the shells are filled and evenly divided between the two pans.
- Evenly cover shells with taco sauce and then the cheeses.
To Cook Immediately:
- Bake at 350F for 30 minutes covered. Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
To Freeze:
- Cover each pan with a alayer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Label and freeze up to 3 months.
To Cook from Frozen:
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Remove plastic wrap, recovering with foil. Bake for 30 minutes at 350F.
- Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes.
- Serve with sour cream and additional salsa, as desired.
