Cheesy Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells (Print Format)

Stuffed pasta shells with cheesy beef, salsa, and enchilada sauce for an easy, crowd-pleasing comfort food.

# Ingredients:

→ Main ingredients

01 - 22-24 jumbo pasta shells
02 - 1 lb ground beef
03 - 1 packet taco seasoning
04 - 1 cup mild salsa
05 - 4 ounces cream cheese
06 - 1 (10oz) can red enchilada sauce
07 - 2 cups Mexican cheese blend

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350° F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
02 - Cook the shells according to the package directions. Ensure they are slightly firm as they will bake further. Lay cooked shells out individually to prevent sticking.
03 - In a skillet, cook and chop the ground beef until browned. Drain excess grease. Add the taco seasoning and salsa, combining thoroughly.
04 - Add cream cheese to the beef mixture and stir until fully melted. Cutting the cream cheese into small pieces helps it melt faster.
05 - Pour half of the enchilada sauce into the prepared baking dish.
06 - Fill each pasta shell with the beef mixture and place it in the prepared dish with the sauce.
07 - Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce over the stuffed shells and top with shredded cheese.
08 - Bake the dish uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

# Tips:

01 - These shells are delicious served with Spanish rice and garnished with sour cream, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, jalapeños, olives, or green onions.
02 - Swap ground beef with black beans or refried beans for a vegetarian-friendly option. Adding corn, rice, or bell peppers is another tasty variation.
03 - This recipe can be doubled to use the entire box of shells, allowing for leftovers or freezing for future meals.