Friday, June 28, 2013

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells


I got this recipe from SAOrganics.com.  You can make this as mild or as flavourful (read: spicy) as you like.  We tend to like things on the milder side, so I reduced the amount of the dry taco seasoning, and used mild salsa and taco sauce).  My guys are picky eaters, and both (especially Mini-Moo!) really liked this dish.  

I'm definitely making this one again!  I promised some friends the recipe, so without further ado, here it is.  My notes are in Italics.

I forgot to take a picture of the dish, so I used the photo from momsownwords.com

1 lb. ground beef or turkey (I used ground chicken – because I’m a rebel like that)
1/4 cup taco seasoning, 1 envelope (we’re sissies, so I just used a bit of the seasoning – this is really according to taste)
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed (or scooped or whatever...who has time to cube?)
12 Jumbo Pasta shells, cooked according to package instructions (I just used the entire box of jumbo shells. It effectively more than doubles the recipe, but I think there was just too much filling for just 12 shells)
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce*
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Jack cheese (I didn’t have any Jack cheese.  Just use whatever the heck cheese you want; we used marble.  You can make this recipe over and over again – and depending on what cheeses you use, it can really change the dish.)
1 can tomato sauce.  (I added this because I wanted it to be a pasta dish with a Tex-Mex flavour, not a Tex-Mex made with pasta)

Optional Toppings: ( I totally didn’t see this!!)

1 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1 cup sour cream
3 green onions, chopped
sliced olives
guacamole
sliced avocados
tomatoes

Directions
1. In a skillet brown meat over medium heat. Add taco seasoning (* I added the taco sauce in this step) and mix to combine. Add cubed cream cheese, cover and simmer so cream cheese can melt. Remove from heat and cool.

2. Fill cooked shells with about 1-2 T. of meat mixture (I used about ¾ tbsp per shell). In a 9×13 glass baking dish pour salsa to coat the bottom of dish. Place filled taco shells on top then add taco sauce tomato sauce. Cover and bake @ 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and sprinkle cheese on top, return to oven for another 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with sour cream, and toppings of your choice.

3. Enjoy!

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