When I can't choose between Tex-Mex and Italian food this is my go to recipe. Next time try the one pot taco spaghetti. It's another Tex-Mex-Italian mash-up that just works!
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🗝️ Key takeaways
- This easy, 30 minute dinner recipe can be assembled ahead of time.
- It's a nice change for Taco Tuesday if you assemble it ahead of time.
- This is great for freezing unbaked for a future meal. Be sure to check out the instructions in the How to freeze section.
I love dinner recipes that allow me to throw them together one night and bake when needed. Once back-to-school hits they are an essential part of my life (and sanity).
This taco stuffed shells casserole is made with jumbo shell pasta stuffed with taco meat and covered in a creamy, homemade queso that brings it up to a serious comfort food level.
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
Sometimes you don't have all the ingredients. That's ok - just improvise!
- If I'm in a big hurry I use LITTLE shell macaroni and just throw everything into one pan for a casserole instead of stuffing the big shells.
- Any ground meat is fine - venison, turkey, pork, chicken...
- Like it a little spicier? Add Rotel tomatoes with chiles to the ground beef.
- Use Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese instead of Cheddar.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions (al dente) and drain. Cook beef in a large skillet and add taco seasoning mix following the instructions on the package. Mix in the chopped cilantro.
- Stuff the ground beef mixture in the cooked shells. Place shells in a casserole dish.
- Cover with queso then sprinkle cheese over the top.
- Bake then drizzle with taco sauce and sprinkle with green onions before serving.
🥫 Storage
You can assemble this dish up to 2 days ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you're ready to bake it.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
🌮 How to freeze taco stuffed shells
This recipe is perfect for freezer meals. Place in an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.
If I'm freezing this unbaked I'll make it right in the casserole dish and then freeze it at step #13. I'll cover it with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
The night before I'm ready to serve it I just take it out of the freezer and pop it into the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Next day just bake as instructed!
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Don't add salt! The taco seasoning is salty (I suggest getting a low-sodium variety) and the queso is salty. If you salt the meat it will be WAY over salted.
- For easy stuffing use a cake decorating bag without an end in it. Fill it with the meat and squeeze it into the pasta.
- Sometimes I add RoTel tomatoes to the cooked ground been along with the taco seasoning.
- Use 90/10 lean ground beef or leaner - it keeps the casserole from being greasy and the seasoning adds plenty of flavor.
- You can substitute ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken, or ground venison for the beef in this recipe.
- While you're browning the meat stir and break it up with a spatula so it's in small pieces with no big lumps.
- Don't overcook the pasta! It will fall apart when you try to stuff it.
- If you assemble this dish and freeze it be sure to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
- Don't use the packaged shredded cheese. Shred it yourself from a block - the packaged shredded cheese has cellulose on it to keep it from clumping and it won't melt as nicely as block cheese.
- Want to make this even easier? Use the small shells and make it into taco mac & cheese.
- Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese are good substitutes for the Cheddar.
- You can top with jalapeno peppers and other favorite taco toppings.
- I like to add a little sour cream or guacamole on top before serving.
- If you're freezing the casserole be sure to label it and date it so you know what it is!
👩🍳 FAQs
Crispy salad with vinaigrette, sliced tomatoes, guacamole, broccoli... almost anything!
I assume 4 to 6 shells per serving.
It can vary but you can pretty much plan on 42 to 48.
📚 Related recipes
Pasta is one of our favorite meals any day of the week! Sometimes EVERY day of the week! Check out my one pot philly cheesesteak pasta or chicken spaghetti!
Here are more of our family favorite casseroles.
🍽️ Serve with...
A crispy salad is about all you need to round out this taco pasta casserole. I like to serve garlic breadsticks if I have some on hand. Of course we love dessert around here so if I'm baking on the weekends it's going to be this tangy lemon pudding bundt cake for dessert!
📞 The last word
I have always loved stuffed shells so when I realized I was out of taco shells late on a Taco Tuesday I had two choices-
- Figure out an alternative to taco shells
- Serve PB&J
I love pb&j sandwiches but not so much for dinner, so I hunted the pantry for a tortilla alternative and came up with some jumbo shells I was planning to make into a regular stuffed shells recipe later in the week.
We LOVED it! It instantly became a family favorite.
If I have leftover tortilla chips sometimes I crush them and bake them right on top. You'll also want to check out this taco lasagna!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Taco Stuffed Shells with Queso
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jumbo shell pasta
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 ½ cups queso, Restless Chipotle homemade or store bought
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
- green onions
- taco sauce
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Cook jumbo shells according to package instructions. Do not overcook - they'll fall apart.
- Drain, rinse, and let cool.
- Brown ground beef in a heavy skillet.
- Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top.
- Stir in water and simmer until the water is absorbed.
- Stir in cilantro.
- Spray a 13x9 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- Gently hold a jumbo shell in the palm of your hand and fill it with meat mixture. It should hold about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons.
- Place in the casserole dish.
- Repeat with the remaining shells until all the meat is gone.
- Pour the queso over the shells, spreading to cover them with it.
- Sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the casserole is heated through.
- Drizzle with taco sauce, sprinkle with green onions and serve.
To bake after freezing
- Remove the casserole from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- When ready to fix dinner just bake as directed in the recipe instructions.
Notes
- Don't add salt! The taco seasoning is salty (I suggest getting a low sodium variety) and the queso is salty. If you salt the meat it will be WAY over salted.
- For easy stuffing use a cake decorating bag without an end in it. Fill it with the meat and squeeze it into the pasta.
- Sometimes I add RoTel tomatoes to the cooked ground beef along with the taco seasoning.
- Use 90/10 lean ground beef or leaner - it keeps the casserole from being greasy and the seasoning adds plenty of flavor.
- You can substitute ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken, or ground venison for the beef in this recipe.
- While you're browning the meat stir and break it up with a spatula so it's in small pieces with no big lumps.
- Don't overcook the pasta! It will fall apart when you try to stuff it.
- If you assemble this dish and freeze it be sure to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
- Don't use the packaged shredded cheese. Shred it yourself from a block - the packaged shredded cheese has cellulose on it to keep it from clumping and it won't melt as nicely as block cheese.
- Want to make this even easier? Use the small shells and make it into taco mac & cheese.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published July 20, 2021. Last updated August 12, 2023 for editorial improvements and more helpful tips.
LT
Im gonna try this, but use shredded chicken instead!!
Mary Hess
There is only my husband and myself so I just make the shells and stuff them. I use 6 for the two of us and just put the other shells onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper not touching and put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen I put them into a freezer bag and just put back into the freezer and just thaw as needed. I do this with any kind of stuffed shells I make.
Meghan Keeton
Do you serve any sides with this?
Marye
Garlic bread or breadsticks and a salad usuallly.
MARILYN SMITH
Use sea shells instead of tube shells and you can stuff 'em with a spoon.
Diane
🙌🏻