Week 30: Recipe #2--Mexican Stuffed Shells

These were a hit!  I loved them and so did my whole family.  The best stuffed shells I've ever made by far. I pretty much followed the recipe.  They were easy to make, although a bit longer to cook in the oven than I'd like for a weeknight.  Luckily, I made them on a Saturday.  I found these on Pinterest, and they're from a site called The Way to His Heart (see link below).  I served these with black beans (which both my girls can eat by the handfuls) and grapes.  Makes 16-20 shells.

Photo from thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com

You'll Need:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 pkg. low-sodium taco seasoning
• 4 oz. cream cheese (I used light cream cheese)
• 14-16 jumbo pasta shells (I was able to make 20)
• 1 1/2 c. salsa
• 1 c. taco sauce (This is a smooth, tomato-based sauce found in the Mexican section of the grocery store)
• 1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 c. monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 3 green onions
• sour cream

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a frying pan brown ground beef; add taco seasoning and mix well.  Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted.  Blend well.  Set aside and cool completely.  (I did not cool the meat or the pasta completely...I wanted it in the oven ASAP.  Turned out fine.)  While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain.  Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don't stick together.  (I also just pulled them right from the strainer to stuff them--why waste a clean cutting board?)
3. Pour salsa on bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture.  Place shells in 9 x 13 pan open side up.  Cover shells with taco sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes more, with foil removed.  Top with any condiments you'd like (green onions, black olives, etc.).  Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

Recipe and link:  http://thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/mexican-stuffed-shells/