Mexican Stuffed Shells - An amazing twist on traditional Italian stuffed shells! Add all the makings of a ground beef taco filling and stuff jumbo pasta shells for an easy delicious anytime family meal!
We just love these Mexican stuffed shells for an easy weeknight meal at our house. I try to keep dinner fun and change up our usual Spaghetti or Taco nights with something a little different!
This Mexican Stuffed Shell Recipe will surely become one of your favorite family meals. We love it with Easy Restaurant Style Cheater Refried Beans and Easy Mexican Rice.
They are delicious as is or topped with your family's favorite taco toppings!
Tips for Mexican shells
- You can use ground turkey or chicken in place of ground beef if you would like
- The sauce is made up of salsa and taco sauce. Enchilada sauce is delicious as well.
- If you would like you can assemble the night before. Cover and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake.
- These freeze well too. If you want to make a half batch or just freeze ahead, place in a disposable baking dish or freezer safe baking dish, before baking. Let thaw in refrigerator and bake. You will need to increase the baking time accordingly (typically 10 to 20 minutes).
- You can change up the cheese for different flavors profiles. I like to use pepper jack, Monterey jack, or a combination of cheddar, or colby jack.
How to make Mexican stuffed shells recipe
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Boil jumbo pasta shells according to box instructions and drain. Set aside.
- Cook taco meat mixture. Meanwhile, in a large skillet add in ground beef and onion and saute until done (about 7 minutes). Drain on paper towels to remove excess fat. In a bowl combine. taco or enchilada sauce and salsa. Add meat mixture back to the skillet and add taco seasoning, sour cream, diced chiles, ½ cup cheese and ¾ cup sauce mixture.
- Stuff the shells and bake. Place ½ of remaining sauce in the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan. Then fill each shell with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the taco meat mixture. Place shells in the pan and pour remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle on remaining cheese. Bake covered with aluminum foil for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Add desired taco toppings and serve.
Topping ideas
After the Mexican stuffed shells come out of the oven, sprinkle with cilantro simple dinner! If you would like to add more toppings you can add right on top of the dish or let everyone top their own as desired. Some great choices are:
- diced avocado
- chopped tomatoes
- sliced black olives
- sour cream
- green onions
- shredded lettuce
- shredded cheese
- sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos
- fresh cilantro
- guacamole
You can also drizzle with skillet queso for an absolutely divine bite!
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Family Friendly Casseroles
- Ground Beef Doritos Casserole
- Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Baked Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- Hamburger and Sausage Rice Casserole
- Ground Beef & Potato Chip Casserole
Mexican stuffed shells are a filling dinner meant for a hungry family or crowd! They are also great to take to a potluck or send to a family in need of a meal! Always a big hit!
Mexican Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 12 ounce Jumbo Pasta Shells
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 10 ounces taco sauce
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 envelope taco seasoning
- ⅓ cup sour cream, room temperature
- 4.5 ounces diced chiles, 1 can
- 2 cups pepper jack or cheddar blend cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Boil jumbo pasta shells according to box instructions and drain. Set aside.
- Cook taco meat mixture. Meanwhile, in a large skillet add in ground beef and onion and saute until done (about 7 minutes). Drain on paper towels to remove excess fat. In a bowl combine, taco or enchilada sauce and salsa. Add meat mixture back to the skillet and add taco seasoning, sour cream, diced chiles, ½ cup cheese and ¾ cup sauce mixture.
- Stuff the shells and bake. Place ½ of remaining sauce in the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan. Then fill each shell with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the taco meat mixture. Place shells in the pan and pour remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle on remaining cheese. Bake covered with aluminum foil for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Add desired taco toppings and serve.
Kippi Ohern says
Yum, this looks and sounds delicious. Comfort food with a new twist. I am sure my gang will love this recipe.
Happy Mother's Day,
Kippi
Nikki Lee says
Thank you so much Kippi! I hope your gang enjoyed them!