These Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Shells make the perfect family-friendly weeknight meal! You’ll love the creamy filling, sauce, and melted cheese topping!

These Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Shells are an easy but delicious meal and a spin-off of Italian stuffed shells. Make these for Taco Tuesday! Mexican Stuffed Shells | Easy Mexican Recipes | Taco Tuesday | Quick meals

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Do you need a break from Thanksgiving leftovers? I know some people (like my husband) aren’t super crazy about leftovers. I, on the other hand, don’t mind them at all. Leftover stuffing and cranberries? Bring it on.

But even I get tired of leftovers after a little while. If you are tired of turkey and green bean casserole, these Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Shells are an easy, family-friendly meal you can make to break up the monotony!

These Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Shells adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything are a spin-off of classic Italian stuffed shells. Sort of like a taco in pasta form!

Now I know that this is not “authentic Mexican” food. But that’s okay, because they are so, so good. Instead of being stuffed with Italian sausage and covered with an Italian red sauce and mozzarella, these tender shells are stuffed with a creamy, flavorful taco-style beef filling, placed on top of a layer of salsa, then topped with taco sauce and Colby Jack cheese.

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Baked to perfection, they become a delightful dish of melty, cheesy goodness with just the right amount of spice. And while they look pretty impressive, they are actually quite simple. They’re very easy to assemble and throw in the oven.

This makes one 9×13 inch pan or two 8×8 inch pans. I sometimes make one pan for now and freeze another pan for later.

If you are freezing them, prepare them according to the directions until the point of topping with cheese. Instead of putting the cheese on now, put the cheese in a zip-top bag and add it to the freezer so you’ll have it handy later.

Wrap the pan well with plastic wrap and foil, to prevent ice crystals from forming. When you’re ready to bake them, thaw and remove the plastic wrap, then proceed with the remainder of the instructions.

You can also bake them in individual ramekins for fun single-serve options (like I have pictured) if you want to!

Because these are so easy and make a great weeknight meal, they are a great option for your weekly meal plan!

I have no problem devouring these plain. In fact, I prefer them that way. But if you want, you could definitely top them with sliced avocado, sour cream, pico de gallo, or whatever your heart desires.

Serve them with a side of black or refried beans and enjoy!

Have you tried themed meal planning? These would be great for “Taco Tuesday” or “Mexican Monday.” Get your themed meal planning starter kit below!

Sav

Yield: 18 stuffed shells

Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Shells

Name: Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Shells
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 18
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef; 1 packet taco seasoning (plus water, as directed on seasoning packet); 4 ounces whipped chive cream cheese; 18 jumbo pasta shells; 1 1/2 cups salsa; 1 cup taco sauce; 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese (I prefer hand-shredded for better melting)

These Cheesy Mexican Stuffed Shells make the perfect family-friendly weeknight meal! You'll love the creamy filling, sauce, and melted cheese topping!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning (plus water, as directed on seasoning packet)
4 ounces whipped chive cream cheese
18 jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese (I prefer hand-shredded for better melting)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook the pasta shells according to package directions. Set shells aside to cool on a paper towel.
While the pasta shells are boiling, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling it as it cooks. When cooked through, drain any excess grease if necessary, then return the beef to the skillet.
Add taco seasoning and water to the beef, preparing according to the directions on the seasoning packet.
Add cream cheese to the skillet, simmering and stirring until completely melted. Set aside to cool a bit.
Pour salsa on the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish (or two 8x8 dishes if preferred).
Stuff each pasta shell with 1-2 tablespoons of meat mixture. Place shells in the pan, with the open side up.
Pour taco sauce evenly over the shells.
Cover dish with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove foil and top shells with shredded cheese. Return shells to the oven, uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes more, until cheese is melted.

Notes

I prefer to shred a block of cheese, as it melts better than pre-packaged shreds. But if you're short on time, packaged shredded cheese will work fine.
You can adjust the level of spice in this dish by choosing taco seasoning and salsa according to your preferences (mild, medium, hot).

Recipe slightly adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1137Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 25gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 1462mgCarbohydrates: 108gFiber: 7gSugar: 8gProtein: 61g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.