Mexican Stuffed Jumbo Pasta Shells

Hola! We made Mexican stuffed shells the other evening and they were so delicious! I'm going to share these flavor packed pasta shells with you because, I like you and because when you eat these scrumptious shells it is like a pinata of "goodie" flavor in your mouth!! You won't want to stop eating and may break out in a little happy dance when you're done!

 

Cook to this and you'll be in the fiesta mood in no time!

So, I found the recipe at The Way To His Heart which is a brilliant title and perfect for us because Dee Jay loves his food (as do I) and one way to his heart is through my cooking! Ya'll are going to laugh (or get tired) of me saying this, but again I used ground venison! Hey, when your man goes off hunting and brings home deer for you, you pretty much are guaranteed to have meat in your freezer for a VERY long time! You can use ground beef or turkey, whichever you prefer. So with all that being said and your music playing in the background like I know it is ;) here is how you make it...

You will start with one pound of ground beef which you will cook and drain. Throw it back into the skillet and add two tablespoons of taco seasoning and one cup of water (I made my own taco seasoning via her website link which I will give you ingredients for below). Stir this all around and then add 4 oz of cream cheese, cover, simmer and let the cheese melt. 

While you have that going go ahead and put 14-16 (I recommend at least 16 because I broke a couple of mine) jumbo pasta shells into boiling water and cook! (NOTE: I did not cook my shells long enough for them to get super soft. I left them a tiny bit harder so they wouldn't fall apart). When your cream cheese mixture is melted in the skillet remove the skillet away from the heat and let this mixture cool completely. 

Now, when your shells are done cooking, go ahead and drain them and lay them out on a cutting board or flat surface where they won't stick! In a 9x13 pan you are going to pour 1 1/2 cups of salsa into the bottom of the pan. Then CAREFULLY stuff each shell with about two teaspoons of the meat/cream cheese mixture. Place the stuffed shell on top of the salsa in the pan open side up. When all the shells are lined up in pretty little rows you are going to pour one cup of taco sauce over the shells and cover the pan with foil.

 

Place in a 350 degree pre-heated oven and cook for 30 minutes. Once your timer has gone off, CAREFULLY remove the foil and sprinkle one cup of cheddar cheese and one cup of monterey jack cheese. Place the pan back in the oven (uncovered this time) and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes more (I think I went with 12 minutes). During the last few minutes go ahead and chop up some green onions, get out some jalapenos, and or black olives (I wish I had the black olives but we didn't) and whatever else you would like to serve it up with. When they are finally out of the oven and cooled down a bit, plop a dollop of sour cream on top and serve it up and garnish it with goodies!! Sit back and enjoy the flavors!! YUM

 ~Happy Eating~

The Way to His Heart Mexican Stuffed Shells

1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce (This is a smooth, tomato based sauce found in the Mexican section)
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook your beef and drain. Add seasoning and one cup of water. Add cream cheese then cover the skillet and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend it well and take it off the heat and let it cool completely. 

Cook the pasta-drain and set shells out on a cutting board

Pour salsa on bottom of a 9x13 pan. Stuff each shell with meat mixture and place the shells open side up on top of the salsa. Cover them with taco sauce, cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Add shredded cheese and cook uncovered for another 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Add green onion (and whatever else you like) and sour cream. Serve and ENJOY

TACO SEASONING 

The Way to His Heart 

4 Tbsp Chili Powder
3 Tbsp plus 1tsp paprika
3 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

COMBINE (For one pound of meat you will use two heaping tablespoons of seasoning and one cup of water)!