So today I was inspired by Sarah Norris’s Post on her Taco style Shells & Cheese Dish.. it sounded so great and it inspired me to make up my own unique dish with some of her key ingredients… it turned out great!!!! Kids really loved this dish and Hubby too!!!
for reference, this was Sarah’s Original Recipe: Taco shells SUBMITTED BY Sarah Norris – they’re a pasta stuffed with taco stuff
You brown your hamburger meat and add cream cheese and refried beans and taco seasoning in a skillet till warm. Add to cooked sea shell style pasta. Cover with cheese green onions and fresh diced tomato and bake till the cheese melts.. I add lettuce and sour cream after it’s out of the oven and in my bowl
Here is my inspired dish with photos I call it JUMBO PASTA SHELLS -STUFFED TACO STYLE
Start out with a large cast iron skillet, a tab of butter, a half of a chopped yellow onion, and about 1 Tbsp or so of chopped Green Bell Pepper. Brown in the butter
Add two Pounds of Ground Chuck
Add Black Pepper To taste ..
Add a box of Jumbo Noodles to a separate pot of salted boiling water
I use Taco Seasoning I get from Sam’s Club.. you can buy a single packet of seasoning if you like from the store but the plus to this is it lasts and lasts and it is way cheaper to spend 4.75 on this and keep it in your pantry than to keep buying single packets over and over.. also you can use as little or as much as you like, we don’t measure we go by taste with most seasonings ..
once my meat is almost finished browning I add my taco seasoning liberally ..
stir well and taste..
you may need to add a little more taco seasoning.. also add water to make a sauce, I added about 2 cups or so
Next I added Mild Ortega Sauce 1 cup
stir well , add a little parmesan cheese if desire..
make sure to stir and taste ….
Now put a little bit of your sauce in the bottom of your baking dish
sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top of that
take your aldente noodles off of the stove and drain the hot water off them in sink
Make your filling:
1 softened cream cheese
take one can of kidney beans and drain them
then smash and put in with the cream cheese, mix VERY WELL
Add almost a whole bag (reg size) of Mozzarella Shredded Cheese leave just a little for the top of your casserole..
add 1/2 cup thick Sour Cream
Now fill your shells with spoonfuls of the filling till all gone
Dump your bowl of Stuffed Shells in the baking Dish that is smeared with some of the taco meat
sprinkle over some shredded cheddar cheese
and dump or spoon the rest of the taco meat over top then add the rest of cheese you have left on top and cover.. put in hot 350 degree oven at 20 minutes
Take out and serve
I had mine with Cold Sour Cream, Tomatoes, Hot Buttered Sweet Corn, and some More Ortega if needed..
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