Taco Stuffed Shells

A twist on a classic – taco stuffed shells meld the best of two cuisines into one delectable dish with just the right amount of spice!!

A Twist on a Taco

In our house, we LOVE Mexican food and eat it at least once a week!

We love to take those Mexican-inspired flavors and try something new like this tasty mash-up! We took classic Italian stuffed shells and gave them a Mexican twist. The flavors are all about tacos! The shells are filled with seasoned ground beef and we topped them with melty cheese and our favorite taco toppings.

Why you’ll love Taco Stuffed Shells too:

• The whole family loves it – from kids to adults, it’s delicious!
• Easy – It bakes in about 30 minutes making it an easy weeknight dinner.
• Feeds a crowd – one pan full fees the masses with minimal effort. Now that’s a dinner we all can love!

Ingredients

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: 35 minutes

Shells

• 1 pound ground beef – or use ground turkey or ground chicken
• 1 envelope taco seasoning – mild or spicy, store-bought or homemade Taco Seasoning.
• ¾ cup water
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 12 jumbo pasta shells – We suggest boiling extra shells in case any tear, or you may even have enough filling for a few extra. 
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Toppings

• ½ cup salsa – store-bought or Homemade Salsa
• ½ cup green enchilada sauce – Try this Green Chili Enchilada Sauce recipe, or use store-bought.
• 1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded – or cheddar, Mexican cheese blend, or mozzarella
• ½ cup Fritos, crushed – or Tortilla Chips, or Nacho Doritos
• ½ cup sour cream
• optional toppings – sliced jalapenos, black olives, frozen corn, black beans, or diced onions

How to Make Taco Stuffed Shells

1. PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.
2. GROUND BEEF. Cook 1 pound ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain grease. Add ¾ cup water and 1 packet of Taco Seasoning and bring to a boil. Add 4 ounces of cream cheese, stir, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the cream cheese is melted.
   • Transfer the taco meat mixture to a bowl and let it cool.
3. PASTA. In a large pot, cook 12 jumbo pasta shells to al dente according to package directions and toss in 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Set aside.
4. FILL. Spoon ½ cup salsa into an 11×7-inch casserole dish. Fill cooked pasta shells with a scoop of the ground beef mixture and place back in the baking dish.
5. BAKE. Drizzle ½ cup enchilada sauce over shells and bake for 20 minutes. Add 1 cup shredded cheese and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
6. SERVE. Add toppings, like crushed ½ cup Fritos, diced tomatoes, green onions, fresh cilantro, or ½ cup sour cream to shells before serving.

Complete The Meal

Sides

Homemade Spanish Rice Recipe

45 mins

Canned Refried Beans

10 mins

Mexican Corn Salad

25 mins

Cilantro Lime Rice

30 mins

Taco Recipes

Taco Casserole Recipe

40 mins

Taco Pie

45 mins

Chicken Taco Salad

25 mins

Homemade Taco Pizza

30 mins

Collections

Mexican Dinner Ideas

Beef Dinner Ideas

Easy Dinner Ideas

Family Dinner Ideas

5 from 32 votes

Taco Stuffed Shells

By: Kristyn Merkley

A twist on a classic, taco stuffed shells meld the best of two cuisines into one delectable dish with just the right amount of spice!!

Servings: 4

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound ground beef
• ▢ 1 envelope taco seasoning
• ▢ ¾ cup water
• ▢ 4 ounces cream cheese
• ▢ 12 jumbo pasta shells
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Toppings

• ▢ ½ cup salsa
• ▢ ½ cup green enchilada sauce
• ▢ 1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded
• ▢ ½ cup Fritos, crushed
• ▢ ½ cup sour cream

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook ground beef in a large pan until no longer pink. Drain grease. Add water and taco seasoning and bring to a boil. Add cream cheese, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the cream cheese is melted.
• Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl and let cool.
• Cook pasta according to package directions and toss in melted butter. Set aside.
• Spoon salsa into an 11×7 baking dish. Fill buttered pasta shells with a scoop of the meat mixture and place back in the baking dish.
• Drizzle enchilada sauce over shells and bake for 20 minutes. Add shredded cheese and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
• Add crushed Fritos and sour cream to shells before serving.

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Notes

Prep ahead. Drizzle on the enchilada sauce then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours, or wrap again with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge if needed and bake according to the recipe.

Store leftovers in an airtight container(s) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months. Thaw if needed, and reheat in the microwave or oven.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 805kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 58g, Saturated Fat: 28g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 19g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 173mg, Sodium: 1698mg, Potassium: 590mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 2240IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 342mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

This recipe was originally published on March 1, 2022.