These Mexican stuffed shells are loved by hundreds of families and are always a crowd favorite. Super easy to make, they’ll quickly be a repeat hit for your family just like they are for mine.
You will love these Mexican Stuffed Shells!
Do you ever want a mix of tacos and pasta for dinner?! These taco stuffed pasta shells are a delicious fusion of Mexican and Italian cuisines, in a delicious, comforting, cheesy pan of stuffed pasta shells, with the zesty flavor of tacos.
Mexican Stuffed Shells Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Mexican Stuffed Shells Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- ground beef – you can also use ground chicken, or ground turkey
- yellow onion – diced
- taco seasoning
- cream cheese – to make the filling nice and creamy
- jumbo pasta shells
- enchilada sauce – pick your favorite red, or green
- salsa
- shredded cheddar cheese
- shredded mozzarella cheese
How to Make Taco Stuffed Shells
Mexican Stuffed Shells can be prepared and ready to eat in about 1 hour or less.
- First you will boil your jumbo pasta shells according to the package directions for al dente noodles, it should be around 10 minutes. Drain the water out when they’re done cooking.
- While the noodles are cooking, saute your diced onions and ground beef until cooked through. Drain out any excess grease. Then add in some taco seasoning and then half a block of cream cheese.
- Combine salsa and enchilada sauce and pour half of it into the bottom of a 9x13inch baking pan. Fill the pasta shells with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the prepared ground beef mixture and place them into the baking pan.
- Pour remaining sauce over the top and cover the pan in foil and bake for about 30 minutes until the noodles are hot throughout. Remove the foil and top with the shredded cheeses.
- Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese on top is all melted.
- Serve the shells immediately with your favorite taco toppings.
Stuffed Taco Pasta Shells Toppings
These taco stuffed shells taste so good with traditional taco style toppings, they’re delicious topped with:
- shredded lettuce
- diced tomatoes
- olives
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro
- avocado
- sliced green onions
- crushed tortilla chips
- pico de gallo
- taco sauce
- black beans
- pinto beans
- tomato sauce
- black olives
- Mexican cheese
- hot sauce
What’s your favorite taco topping? What would you put on these stuffed shells?
Nate and I both love this meal so much. Every time we make them we just gobble them up and keep going back for more and more because they really are that delicious!
If you don’t trust me, just look at the comments, everyone loves these delicious Mexican stuffed shells!
How to store Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells
Although you may eat these up all in one day, if you end up with leftovers they are great for reheating throughout the week, just microwave up your individual portions when reheating for lunches. The stuffed shells should stay good in the fridge covered, for 5-6 days.
Can you freeze this Taco Stuffed Shells Recipe?
These shells also make a great freezer meal! Make a double batch and freeze one of the pans up so you have a delicious meal for later that is already ready to go!
If you freeze a pan of these shells, make sure to cover the pan tightly with foil. It’s best to use a disposable aluminum pan to freeze them so you don’t have to worry about any glass breaking in the freezer.
You will prepare the stuffed shells until just before baking them. When you are ready to enjoy this delicious meal, bake the shells directly from the freezer at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes with the aluminum foil on top, then remove it for an additional 15 minutes of baking (so 1 hour total) until the shells are hot throughout and the cheese is nice and bubbly.
You can keep the pan in the freezer for about 3 months for the best results.
These shells make such a tasty meal, especially when paired with some yummy side dishes!
Serving Stuffed Shells with Meat and Cheese
- mexican street corn dip
- refried beans on Kleinworth and Co
- mexican rice on House of Nash Eats
- avocado tomato salad on Taste and Tell
- a simple side salad
These mexican stuffed shells are the perfect easy dinner that every one will love! The meal is ready in less than an hour and is perfect for any day of the week!
Taco Pasta Shells FAQs
What is another name for stuffed shells?
Also commonly called jumbo shells, there are a variety of different types of stuffed shells. This one is a Mexican food version that is perfect for a taco Tuesday for the whole family!
What is the difference between manicotti and stuffed shells?
While they are both forms of hollow shells of pasta that can be filled, manicotti is more of a tube shape while stuffed shells are more the shape of an ocean shell stuffed with a meat mixture or another delicious twist of ingredients.
What are Mexican stuffed shells filled with?
This Mexican stuffed shells recipe uses a lean ground beef with a taco meat flavor all mixed with cheese and other delicious ingredients like onions in an amazing casserole dish that is perfect for busy weeknights or for taco night. This recipe is a family favorite that is easy to store in an airtight container for leftovers and a great way to fill up the family.
These shells are so fun and delicious to eat. I love having a taco styled Mexican meal inside of pasta shells instead of with the typical tortilla, or chips!
Looking for more Mexican inspired pasta dishes:
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Stuffed Taco Pasta Shells
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion (diced)
- 2 TBS taco seasoning
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz jumbo pasta shells*
- 10 oz enchilada sauce
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil
- Boil your pasta shells for about 10 minutes, or until cooked al dente according to package directions. Rinse shells when they’re done cooking.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
- Meanwhile cook up your ground beef and onions over medium high heat until cooked thoroughly. Drain excess grease from the pan.
- Add in the taco seasoning and stir to mix.
- Mix in the cream cheese and cook until the cheese is melted throughout. Set aside.
- Combine your enchilada sauce and salsa in a small bowl.
- Pour about half of your enchilada sauce salsa mixture into the bottom a 9×13 pan and spread around to cover the bottom
- Fill each jumbo shell with a heaping 1 TBS of meat mixture and place into the pan with the sauce.
- Repeat until all the shells or meat mixture is gone.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce salsa mixture over the top of the shells.
- Wrap pan in aluminum foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is hot throughout the shells.
- Remove foil and top with shredded cheeses.
- Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Top with your favorite taco toppings, or enjoy as is.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
These mexican stuffed shells were first posted on January 13, 2014. Photos updated on February 10, 2020.
GET SET TO MAKE THIS AMAZING MEXICAN PASTA DISH WITH THESE GREAT KITCHEN TOOLS and INGREDIENTS:
Susan says
Love this recipe!! It is terrific on taste and easy to make!!!
James says
Super easy taste great
Sara says
Have made this recipe quite a few times. Everyone in the house (yes, most are even kids) love it! A regular on the meal plan rotation.
Amanda Fortune says
Do you have the nutritional facts?
Aimee says
Hi Amanda! I’m working on updating our plugin to have caloric info for each recipe, but we aren’t there yet. I’d recommend just using a calorie counter at this time.
Libby says
This has become a favorite family dish for us as well. Goes well with some buttered rice and a dish of refried beans as side dishes. <3
Aimee says
Great side dish ideas Libby! So glad your family loves it as much as we do! <3
Tara says
These are a must! We make extra taco meat on taco night then make these on one of the days fallowing. Have made them at least once a month for over a year. Have shared the recipe with so many that have loved it also!! Thank you for sharing!
Aimee says
What a compliment Tara! I’m so glad you guys love them so much!
Nancy says
I like to mix green enchilada sauce and red together for my Mexican dishes. Also, I like to also use cojita cheese on my Mexican dishes along with the cheddar.
Christine says
My Family will not eat onion…. so can I omit the salsa? Is there a substitute I should try without onion?
Aimee says
I’d just do some diced tomatoes
Libby says
Using onion powder instead of onion works well too.
Baker by Nature says
Talk about comfort food!
thebigmansworld (@TheBigMansWorld) says
Dinner tonight for sure!
megunprocessed says
Beautiful shot. Looks flavorful.
Stacey says
I would like to try this tonight as it sounds delicious but my daughter doesn’t like cream cheese. Do you think it would work with ricotta cheese instead?
Aimee Berrett says
You can’t really taste the cream cheese, with it all mixed in it just makes the mixture creamier – that being said, I’ve never tried it with ricotta, it might work! Let me know if you try it!
Stacey says
Hi Aimee, Last night we tried the recipe substituting 8 oz of ricotta cheese for the 4 oz of cream cheese and it was delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Cynthia Pacheco says
Looks delicious! Can I make it vegetarian?
Aimee Berrett says
It should be fine without the ground beef. You could mix in some black beans or corn if you want too!
Angelique Sellars says
I love this recipe. I have made it several times. I double batch it and freeze one before I put the cheese on it. I just thaw, top with cheese and bake as directed. Tonight I made it low carb with mini sweet peppers. I cut them in half, cleaned out the seeds. Stuffed them and baked as directed. I only made a single batch, I am not sure the peppers would freeze well. But they were amazing. AMAZING!!
Aimee Berrett says
Wow Angelique, that sounds amazing! I’ll definitely have to try the mixture with sweet peppers next time. YUM!
Jessica says
Hi! I just made these tonight and they were amazing! We are trying to eat healthier so I used lean beef, fat free cream cheese, and 2% cheddar cheese. You wouldn’t have known at all. My husband already requested it again while eating it. I also used picante instead of salsa because we aren’t a fan of salsa being so chunky. Weird, I know! I will have to look at your other recipes. 🙂
Aimee Berrett says
Hi Jessica!! You are so kind to let me know that you all loved it!! My husband doesn’t like chunky salsa either 😉 I think I need to make it again soon as well 🙂
sharon says
Please repost ingredients. These look delicious.
Aimee Berrett says
I can see the ingredients on my end, do they not show on yours?
kelli pilgrim says
These were awesome and both my 8 year old and 2 year old loved it! I did add some rotel tomatoes and corn to the meat and cream cheese mixture and it gave it some awesome added flavor!
Karen says
How much Rotel tomatoes and corn did you add to the ground beef mixture? Was it a can of each? Thanks!
Shannon says
I didn’t make these the night before like I had originally commented but I did make them the other night for dinner and they were a hit! They were delicious. My cousin asked for the recipe she enjoyed them so much. I will be making these again!
Aimee Berrett says
So glad you guys liked them! They are one of our favorites too!
Shannon says
Did you ever try making this the night before and baking it the next day? I’d like to make this tonight so all I have to do tomorrow is bake it. Thanks!
Aimee Berrett says
I haven’t tried it that way, it should work fine though. Let me know how it goes.
tricia says
What happened to the list of ingredients?? I pinned this awhile ago, but when I came back here to make it today, the only ingredient in the list is ground beef?!
Aimee Berrett says
So weird! I’m not sure what happened! Working on fixing it right now!
Kerri says
I love this recipe!! Its delicious. Any suggestions for making it gluten free, since they don’t sell gluten free shells? Thanks!
Aimee @ Like Mother Like Daughter says
Kerri, I haven’t dealt a lot with gluten free cooking, so I’m not sure what a substitution would be. Can you find gluten free manicotti shells?
Ruth says
Hi! I would love to try this recipe but did not know what you meant with enchilada sauce and salsa? Which ones in particular do you use for this recipe?
Aimee Berrett says
I use any brand of enchilada sauce that is the cheapest, I usually use red mild sauce you can find it in the hispanic foods section. And I usually use pace salsa, but any brand should work fine!
Sarah says
I made this last night and used a mixture of chorizo and ground beef (instead of just beef). Delicious!
Aimee Berrett says
Sounds delicious! Glad you liked it!
Amy says
Delish. I used1/3 less fat cream cheese and 2% shredded cheese and they were still amazing. I made them Sunday and here on Friday my husband is already asking to have them for dinner tonight!
Aimee Berrett says
So glad you liked it! I often use neufchatel (1/3 less fat) cream cheese in recipes too. Glad you liked it in this one!
Laur says
I bet these would taste yummy with retried beans inside too