← All recipes
MAINS

Taco Stuffed Shells

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a chili-cumin ground beef filling bound with sour cream and cheese, baked over a bed of salsa. Read the grid left to right: shells boil while the beef browns, then stuff, then bake.

OriginTex-Mex casserole, weeknight
Active25 min
Total45 min
EquipmentLarge pot, large skillet, 9x13 baking dish
Oven
375°F
Uncovered, middle rack
Skillet
MED-HIGH
Onion first, then beef
Bake
20min
Then broil 3-4 min if you want browned cheese
Yield
~24shells
Boil a few extra -- some will tear
1 · BOIL 2 · BROWN 3 · STUFF 4 · BAKE
2 dozen jumbo pasta shells, uncooked Salted boiling water, al dente per the package.1 Fill each shell with the beef mixture using a small spoon2
1 tbsp ≈ 15 mL olive oil Into the skillet over medium-high.
1/2 medium onion, chopped 4-5 min until lightly browned.
2 cloves garlic, minced 30 sec, just until fragrant.
1 lb ≈ 454 g ground beef, extra lean In with the spices, break up and cook until browned through, ~8 min.3
1 tbsp ≈ 15 mL chili powder In with the beef.
1 tsp ≈ 5 mL smoked paprika In with the beef.
1 tsp ≈ 5 mL ground cumin In with the beef.
1 jar (14.5 oz) ≈ 411 g salsa Oven to 375°F. Grease the 9x13 and spread the whole jar evenly over the bottom.
1/2 cup ≈ 118 mL sour cream Stirred into the beef off the heat.
1 1/2 cups ≈ 355 mL Tex-Mex cheese blend, shredded, divided Half stirred into the beef with the sour cream until melted. Remaining half scattered over the stuffed shells.4
to taste salt & pepper Taste the filling and season before stuffing.
optional cilantro, avocado, scallions, tomatoes, extra sour cream Prep while the shells bake, scatter over to serve.
  1. jumbo pasta shells, uncooked · BOIL Start the skillet while these cook. Rinse and drain once done.
  2. jumbo pasta shells, uncooked · STUFF Then arrange over the salsa in the dish.
  3. ground beef, extra lean · BROWN Drain any excess fat, then off the heat.
  4. Tex-Mex cheese blend, shredded, divided · BAKE Bake uncovered 20 min; broil 3-4 min for browned cheese.
Protein
Produce
Dairy & Egg
Pantry & Grain
Spice & Seasoning
Liquid & Fat

Notes

Boil a few extra shells. Jumbo shells tear in the pot and while stuffing -- the recipe fills about 24, so cook the whole box and discard the casualties.
Skillet runs while the water comes up. The beef filling takes about 13 min end to end, roughly the same as bringing a pot to a boil and cooking the shells -- do both at once and the whole thing is in the oven in 25 min.
Sour cream and cheese go in off the heat. The residual heat of the drained beef is enough to melt the cheese and loosen the sour cream into a binder; over a flame the dairy breaks and goes greasy.
Salsa is the sauce. Any jarred salsa works and it sets the heat level -- use more than one jar if you want a saucier bake, since the shells drink some of it.
Assembles ahead. Stuff and cover the dish up to 2 days ahead refrigerated, or freeze up to 3 months; add the top cheese and bake from cold, adding a few minutes.
Adapted Adapted from Salt & Lavender -- "Taco Stuffed Shells". https://www.saltandlavender.com/taco-stuffed-shells/