Tacos in Pasta Shells has been a family favorite for the last decade, at least. This recipe makes a HUGE batch that you can freeze or share. I’m all about making food once and getting multiple meals. This recipe fits that standard, and your family will love you for it!
Tacos in Pasta Shells Recipe…
This recipe was a gift from a very good friend of my husband’s family. Phyllis was one of the sweetest people who ever lived and a great cook! Whenever I visited her house, I knew the food and hospitality would be unmatched.
Though I’m unsure when Phyllis wrote down the Tacos in Pasta Shells recipe for me, I know every time I’ve made it, the pan is empty…no one goes away unsatisfied.
To try to make the most of my ingredients and limit waste, I decided to modify the recipe so that I didn’t have leftovers when making the original recipe. Now, I use the entire box of shells, no leftover cream cheese bits, and I can use entire pounds of meat. Yay! The bonus is that I now can also cook once and eat multiple times or easily prepare for a family gathering.
Tacos in Pasta Shells for a Crowd: Freeze or Share
Notes
To freeze, stop after adding taco sauce to stuffed shells, cover tightly, and freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and continue with step #6.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. ground beef or ground chicken
- 8 oz. package cream cheese with chives
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 (12 oz.) box jumbo pasta shells
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1 (16 oz.) jar or 2 cups prepared taco sauce (I like medium, but mild works, too.)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 3 cups crushed tortilla chips
- Suggested toppings: sour cream, onions, chopped tomatoes, salsa
Instructions
- Grease two 9×13 baking pans. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 ℉.
- In a large dutch oven, brown ground meat. Drain.
- Add softened cream cheese, salt, and chili powder and simmer for a few minutes.
- In another large dutch oven, cook the entire box of shells, as directed. Drain, return to pan, and toss with butter until butter is melted and all shells are coated.
- Divide shells between pans. (I add 20 to each pan and divide the rest between the two. Don’t throw away the little broken bits…just add them to the bottom of the baking dish.)
- Stuff shells with cooked meat mixture. Pour 1 cup of taco sauce over each pan of shells. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove foil. Divide crushed chips and cheese over two pans and bake for 15 more minutes or until nice and bubbly.
- Top with sour cream, onion, tomatoes, or salsa.
If you love tasty meal ideas, you might like to try my Real Pork Tenderloins, our favorite Cheesy Potatoes and Kielbasa, or my Red Beans and Rice in the slow cooker. I have many other meal ideas on my Recipes to Share tab. 🙂
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