Mexican Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef

Name: Mexican Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon Olive Oil; 1 medium onion, diced; 1 pound lean ground beef (✅); 6 ounces gluten-free large pasta shells (Tinkyada makes gluten-free shells); 10 ounces enchilada sauce (✅); 10 ounce diced tomatoes with chilies (✅); 1 packet package taco seasoning (✅); 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (✅)

Mexican stuffed shells with ground beef are packed with beef, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and cheese. They are baked into a delicious kid-friendly dinner everyone will love! Gluten-free.

Stuffed beef shells are the perfect combination of Italian and Mexican flavors. With pasta shells replacing tortilla shells, this recipe definitely puts a twist on Taco Tuesday! Follow step-by-step to create this delicious and nutritious meal.

Mexican Stuffed Shells baked in a white casserole dish with a spoon ladling out a shell.

Baked in the oven, you will have this recipe on the dinner table in under 40 minutes. Even better, hand this recipe to your kid(s) then sit back and relax while they make dinner. This simple recipe gives kids the confidence they need to keep cooking night after night.

HOW TO MAKE

Start by gathering the equipment and ingredients.

EQUIPMENT

Medium-sized pan
Spatula
Colander
Medium-sized saucepan
Large bowl
Stir spoon
Baking pan

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef
6 ounces big pasta shells 24 shells
10 ounces enchilada sauce
10-ounce can diced tomatoes with chilies such as Rotel
1 packet package taco seasoning
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

1. Preheat the oven

2. Prepare ground beef.

Start by sautéing the onions in a medium-sized skillet.

“Sautéing” is a cooking method that cooks the ingredient(s) quickly in a small amount of oil or fat. For this recipe, you will sauté the onions in olive oil.

Add 1 TBSP of olive oil to a skillet over medium-high and heat for 1 minute. Then, add the diced onion and sauté until translucent (about 3-4 minutes). “Translucent” means that you should be able to almost see through the onions. Stir the onions – watching for your onions to turn from solid white in color to translucent while shrinking in size. The onions will also start smelling sweet because sautéing helps onions develop a sweet flavor.

Once the onions are translucent, it is time to cook the ground beef..

Cooking ground beef:

Add the ground beef to the skillet. Using a spatula, carefully break up the meat into large chunks. Let the chunks of beef cook for approximately 1 minute. Then, break the chunks into smaller pieces and let cook for approximately 1 minute. Repeat the process of alternating between breaking up the ground beef and cooking for 1 minute until the ground beef is no longer pink. By the end, you will have successfully browned ground beef!

Last but not least, drain the brown ground beef by draining any excess fat.

3. Prepare pasta shells.

To prepare the pasta shells, you will need to grab a medium-sized pot. Then, heat the water until it starts to boil. My 12 year old recently asked me how to know when the water was boiling so I thought I’d point out that boiling is reached when the water is rapidly bubbling.

Add the pasta shells and cook per box instructions.

A close up of a bowl of food, cooked ground Beef

Tips to boiling pasta carefully:

Let the water come to a rapid boil then lower the flame and let the bubbles become smaller before adding the pasta.
Keep the lid off the pot when boiling the pasta to prevent the water from overflowing.
When stirring the boiling pasta, stir away from your body to prevent water from accidentally splashing on you.

Tips to draining pasta carefully:

Pour the pasta away from you into a colander. This will prevent the steam from the pot from burning your arms or face.
Ask for help! In my opinion, draining pasta is a two-person job. Always ask an adult to carry the pot filled with boiling water and pasta to the sink.
After draining, immediately run under cold water. This is important so that the shells are cool by the time you start to stuff them.

4. Prepare the meat mixture.

At this point, the ground beef should be cooked, drained and back in the skillet. Add the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning to the skillet and stir.

Looking for a quick and easy taco seasoning? Check out my Homemade Taco Seasoning. It is the perfect recipe to make in bulk then store until ready to use.

5. Prepare the baking pan.

Prepare the baking pan by adding a can of enchilada sauce to a baking pan. I use a 9 x 13-inch baking pan for this recipe.

INGREDIENT SWAP: Swap the canned enchilada sauce for an Easy Enchilada Sauce that was created by a Registered Dietitian.

6. Assemble the stuffed shells.

Time to assemble the stuffed shells. The pasta should be cool enough to hold at this point. If not, continue to run the pasta under cold water until cool.

Add about 2-3 tablespoons of the meat mixture to the shells. My kids find it easier to hold the pasta shells in their hand so they have more control of the shell.

Once the shell is filled, carefully place it into the baking pan on top of the enchilada sauce.

Form 3 rows of about 8 shells in each row.

7. Prepare for Baking

Sprinkle the top of the pasta shells with cheese.

Cook for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the enchilada sauce is heated through. Then, serve hot.

FAQs

What do I serve with stuffed shells?

Stuffed shells are great because they can be the main entree or a side dish. Good side dishes for stuffed shells: roasted vegetables, Spanish rice, or refried beans. Good entree dishes for stuffed shells: baked chicken breast, roasted pork loin or grilled steak.

Can I add toppings to Mexican stuffed shells?

Absolutely! Any taco style toppings will do. Here are a few ideas: lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, black olives, guacamole or sour cream.

Can you freeze Mexican stuffed shells?

Yes – freeze this dish just like you would a casserole recipe. After the baked shells have cooled, transfer to a freezer friendly container and cover the top with a lid or aluminum foil. To reheat, simply place the shells into a baking dish and cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until the shells are hot.

More KID-FRIENDLY DINNER RECIPES:

CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.

The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.

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