Make My Day Camp: MSIH: Taco Stuffed Shells

Thursday, February 10, 2022

MSIH: Taco Stuffed Shells

I've had time on my hands lately so made my sis another dinner for her 'my sis is hungry' review - this time it's this fantastic 'taco stuffed shells'. She sent me the recipe she found here, and I followed it pretty closely. I doubled the recipe so we could try them too, I was skeptical about this one (pasta baked with salsa?) but we ended up loving it. I made ours with mild salsa, and hers with medium knowing they like things spicier - I don't know if taco sauce comes in different heat degrees, Dave went to the store for me and bought mild (smart man, I don't like spicy food hahaha). I don't think there's anything I'd change about this recipe, that's unusual right?

Her review, in her own words, and the recipe follows:

Yeah no idea what this one is. I'm calling it 'Taco What Not' cuz its partly tacos (who doesn’t like a Taco 😉), partly enchiladas, partly a pasta dish.

This one has been by far the husbands favorite in all the years we have been getting delish meals from my sister. He LOVED it. I also liked it - he said I “ruined it” by putting lettuce, sour cream and jalapeños on the top. I didn’t “ruin it” - it was fantastic that way. Actually high praise from the husband is that he didn’t put taco sauce on the top of it- he puts that stuff on everything. HAHAHA.

Basically it was enchiladas to me but with big pasta shells instead of tortillas. This gave it a different but fantastic flavor. Each shell was stuffed with burger and covered in cheese - seemed like something that might be in my wheel house but I’ll need to check the recipe. My sister told me she used ground turkey which he had no idea and didn’t change the flavor at all. I wish she had told me before I ate it though cuz I would have definitely went back for thirds… Wait.. should I be pretending I didn’t have seconds anyway? HAHAHA

I will absolutely be making this one again… since he loved it so much and I won't be able to get my sister to make me the same thing twice, I will be on my own to make it again. Fingers crossed she didn’t make this sauce from scratch or something equally crazy.

2 thumbs up for this one!!

Jill here - side note, I got a cute text from my b-i-l with a funny meme that said 'get in my belly' and he wrote 'yummy, yummy, yummy' hahaha.

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 block), cut into pieces
14-16 pasta shells (about half a large box)
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce (smooth, I used Ortega brand in a bottle)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
sour cream or other toppings if desired

Brown meat until cooked thru, add taco seasoning packet and cook according to directions. Stir in cream cheese, cover until it's melted. Blend well; set aside and let cool completely.

Cook the pasta shell according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Lay shells out individually on a clean towel so they'll dry and not stick together.

Pour salsa in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Stuff the shells with the meat mixture, arrange with seam side up on top of the salsa. Top with taco sauce, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover, add the cheeses and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

Serve with your choice of condiments - sour cream, green onions, black olives, etc.