Mexican Stuffed Shells

Name: Mexican Stuffed Shells
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients: 36 jumbo pasta shells; 1 pound lean ground beef; 1 cup water; 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix; 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans; 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese; 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles; 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce; ¾ cup picante sauce

Rating: 4.3 stars

10 Ratings
17 Reviews
16 Photos

This is a great alternative to Italian-style stuffed shells. Serve this with sour cream and chips and salsa.

By AIMEE.HOWE

Gallery

Recipe Summary test

prep:

15 mins

cook:

1 hr 10 mins

additional:

5 mins

total:

1 hr 30 mins

Servings:

Yield:

5 servings

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 5 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

36 jumbo pasta shells
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup water
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
¾ cup picante sauce

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

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Step 2
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well.
Step 3
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Add water and taco seasoning mix and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Stir refried beans, Cheddar cheese, and green chiles into ground beef; cook and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Fill shells with beef mixture.
Step 5
Combine tomato sauce and picante sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook and stir until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Step 6
Arrange stuffed shells side-by-side in the baking dish and top with remaining sauce. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
Step 7
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

657 calories; protein 36.6g; carbohydrates 75.8g; fat 22.2g; cholesterol 85.7mg; sodium 1712mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (17)

Most helpful positive review

Amy Meeker

07/03/2018

We thought it was great! Messy to make but so what . It's a keeper for us very tasty not bland the way I made it . try using Mexican cheddar cheese too .adds to the taste . use 23 shells too fits better in a 13×9 pan . Also double the sauce recipe for the top of the shells. a tip from me I put tooth picks on top of shells after I put cheese on the top of the shells to keep from sticking worked well too. Hope you enjoy ! Read More

Helpful

(5)

Most helpful critical review

Denise Hutson

03/03/2019

This was a pretty good casserole, definitely something different. It was very messy to make, about halfway through fighting with the shell stuffing part of this recipe I placed the rest of the mixture into a large storage bag, cut the corner and piped the rest into the shells. That worked much better and was not as messy. I would also triple the sauce recipe for the top.....someone said double but I ended up making a triple batch for a 9x12. I would not make this a menu staple but would make it for guests, potluck, etc. Read More

Helpful

(5)

10 Ratings

5 star values: 5
4 star values: 3
3 star values: 2
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Denise Hutson

03/03/2019

Helpful

(5)

Amy Meeker

07/03/2018

Helpful

(5)

Soup Loving Nicole

Allstar

04/10/2016

These were a little messy to stuff and not too pretty to look at but the taste was excellent. I never would have thought to add refried beans to my ground beef but I really liked it. The leftovers reheat nicely as well. Very tasty recipe and one I will make again! Read More

Helpful

(4)

Dee Grimsey

05/03/2017

In my opinion this was just okay. Too much work for how it turned out. I like my Mexican food spicy and even with the taco mix it was kind of bland. It also reminded me of a layer Mexican casserole I have made with tortillas. (much easier to make). If you do not like hot and spicy you might like this---presentation is great! Read More

Aoverholser

06/18/2019

It's a good base recipe for Mexican stuffed shells. I would make it again though I would probably add something to give it more kick. Read More

drizzie

06/27/2019

Really fun to make but instead of putting it in the oven I threw it on the grill and man it turned out AMAZING!! Definitely highly recommend Read More

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Mexican Stuffed Shells

Servings Per Recipe: 5
Calories: 657

% Daily Value *

protein: 73 %

carbohydrates: 25 %

dietary fiber: 34 %

sugars:

fat: 34 %

saturated fat: 51 %

cholesterol: 29 %

vitamin a iu: 13 %

niacin equivalents: 125 %

vitamin b6: 36 %

vitamin c: 41 %

folate: 47 %

calcium: 23 %

iron: 34 %

magnesium: 36 %

potassium: 26 %

sodium: 69 %

thiamin: 11 %

calories from fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.