Stuffed Shells Taco-Style

Look at what I brought back from yet another trip to Pinterest-Land...

Yummy-cheesy-sweet-spicy stuffed shells taco-style.

I found this little island of awesomeness on a blog called

The Way to His Heart 

It got great reviews, so I decided to try it for myself.

I'll show you how I made it:

I gathered the ingredients; jumbo pasta shells, ground beef, taco seasoning, cream cheese, salsa, taco sauce, cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese, sliced black olives, and sliced green onion tops (I didn't end up using the sour cream pictured here).

I browned the ground beef on top of the stove...it was weird not adding my usual chopped onion...I wondered if I would miss it...but I didn't.

 You know what comes next...drain baby, drain...

 I put the browned ground beef back in the pan and added the taco seasoning and the water called for on the package.

Then I added 1/2 package of cream cheese and stirred until the cheese melted.

When the cheese melted I took the pan off the burner and let it cool as I cooked the jumbo shells according to the package directions.

I spread 1 1/2 cups of salsa on the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking pan.

When the shells were done cooking I drain them and rinsed them with cool water. Then I separated them on a board so they would not stick together.

I filled the shells with the cooled ground beef mixture and placed them opening side up on top of the salsa in the baking pan.

I poured the taco sauce on top of the stuffed shells. I never heard of taco sauce until I saw this recipe. I found it in my little local grocery store near the enchilada sauce. The brands I saw come in jars (I expected it to come in a can.)

I covered it with foil and baked it in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

After it cooked for 1/2 hour I took it out, and put cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese, sliced black olives and sliced green onion on top. I put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

And this is the beautiful finished dish...

And this is what it looks like served on a plate with a side salad. Mmmm...


This is the official recipe for Stuffed Taco Shells:


18 jumbo pasta shells
1 pound lean ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/3 cup sliced black olives
2 tablespoons sliced green onion tops


Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain, set aside.
Brown ground beef. Drain.
Add taco seasoning packet and water according to package directions.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
Pour salsa into 9x13 glass pan and spread to cover the bottom.
Fill shells with cooled meat mixture and place on top of the salsa with the open side up.
Pour taco sauce over the top.
Cover with foil and bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Uncover, sprinkle cheeses over the top, add olives and green onion.
Bake an additional 15 minutes uncovered.
Serve with sour cream, guacamole, or side salad


What was the taste tester's bottom line?
GoodMan and I really enjoyed this dish. It has a little spice, but that can be controlled by the type of taco seasoning and salsa used. I am not a big fan of spicy foods and I enjoyed it. I served ours with a side salad which may have reduced the spicy sensation.

The bottom line: This is a good recipe for family gatherings and pot luck dinners. I plan to make this again. I will freeze half so that I can make two meals at once.