• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Restless Chipotle

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Start Here
    • Ingredients Substitutions
    • Tips for Measuring Ingredients Accurately
  • About
  • Shop
  • Your Recipe Box
  • Meal Plans
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • My Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Start Here!
  • Videos
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • My Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Start Here!
  • Videos
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
×

Home » Recipes » Pasta Recipes

Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells

Published: Jul 20, 2021 Last Updated: Oct 9, 2022 by Marye 1303 words. | About 7 minutes to read this article.

30 minute dinner that's kid friendly and perfect for busy weeknights! This hearty taco stuffed shells casserole can be assembled up to 2 days ahead of time or frozen for up to 3 months before baking.
Total time 30 minutes
Jump to Recipe
A close up of a serving of this recipe with a text overlay for Pinterest.
A plate with stuffed shells on it and a text overlay for Pinterest

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 or baked macaroni and cheese!

Title text overlay on an image of stuffed shells.
Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why you'll love it
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🥫 Storage
  • 💭 Tips
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 📞 The last word
  • Taco Stuffed Shells with Queso
  • Restless Chipotle recommends...
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

  • Can be assembled ahead of time
  • 30 minute dinner
  • Kid-friendly

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.

It's a delicious dinner the whole family will love!

🧾 Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for taco stuffed shells.

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

Step by step images showing how to make this recipe.
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  2. Cook pasta 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.
  3. Stuff the ground beef mixture in the cooked shells. Place shells in a casserole dish.
  4. Cover with queso then sprinkle cheese over the top.
  5. Bake then drizzle with taco sauce and sprinkle with green onions.

🥫 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.

Close up of the casserole showing the gooey cheese.

💭 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.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

What's a good side for taco stuffed shells?

Crispy salad with vinaigrette, sliced tomatoes, guacamole, broccoli... almost anything!

How many stuffed shells is a serving?

I assume 3 shells per serving.

Decorative image. Overhead view of stuffed shells on a plate.

📚 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 favorites.

  • Mom's Noodles Romanoff
  • Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole
  • Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork
  • Pasta con Broccoli

📞 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-

  1. Figure out an alternative to taco shells
  2. 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! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Close up of a serving spoon removing some of the casserole for the feature image.
4.70 from 268 votes

Taco Stuffed Shells with Queso

Print Save Go to Collections
Prevent your screen from going dark
30 minute dinner that's kid friendly and perfect for busy weeknights! This hearty taco stuffed shells casserole can be assembled up to 2 days ahead of time or frozen for up to 3 months before baking.
Course Casserole,Dinner (quick and easy)
Cuisine American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings:6
Calories:614
Author:Marye Audet-White
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

  • Iron Skillet
  • Stock pot

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

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

Part one

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Cook jumbo shells according to package instructions. Do not overcook - they'll fall apart.
  • Drain, rinse, and let cool.

Part two

  • 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.

Part three

  • 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.

Part four

  • 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.

Notes

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.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 614kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1546mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1076IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 371mg | Iron: 4mg

Sign up for the emails and never miss another recipe!!

    We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.

    Restless Chipotle recommends...

    The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    • ground beef
    • taco seasoning
    • green onions
    • cilantro
    • cheese, Cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend
    • jumbo pasta shells
    • taco sauce
    • queso (my homemade recipe or commercial)
    • large skillet
    • stock pot
    • casserole dish

    More Perfect Pasta

    • One Pot Taco Spaghetti Recipe
    • Ham Tetrazzini
    • Spicy Chicken Mac and Cheese
    • Hamburger Noodle Casserole
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    About Marye

    With a 40 year focus on the importance of family and a passion for southern comfort food, Marye Audet-White is an expert in melding the two together effortlessly. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. LT

      June 29, 2022 at 5:13 pm

      5 stars
      Im gonna try this, but use shredded chicken instead!!

      Reply
    2. Mary Hess

      June 07, 2022 at 4:49 pm

      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.

      Reply
    3. Meghan Keeton

      April 11, 2022 at 12:54 am

      Do you serve any sides with this?

      Reply
      • Marye

        April 12, 2022 at 3:09 pm

        Garlic bread or breadsticks and a salad usuallly.

    4. MARILYN SMITH

      March 17, 2022 at 9:25 pm

      5 stars
      Use sea shells instead of tube shells and you can stuff 'em with a spoon.

      Reply
    5. Diane

      March 06, 2022 at 2:09 pm

      5 stars
      🙌🏻

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Love it? Give it 5 stars!




    Primary Sidebar

    Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

    Hey Y'all, I'm Marye.

    NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies.

    More about me →

    ❤️Valentine's Day

    • Red Velvet Puppy Chow for Valentine's Day
    • 50 Red Velvet Recipes for Every Occasion
    • Red Velvet Bundt Cake
    • 10 Best Chocolate Gifts

    👑 Reader Favorites

    • Crispy Fried Potatoes
    • English Muffin Bread Recipe
    • No Fail Amish White Bread
    • Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

    Valentine's Day Dessert Ideas

    (Just click on the button at the bottom of each page to see the recipe)

    Valentine's Day Dessert Ideas

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About Marye Audet-White
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy
    MaryeAudet Whiteandherchildren Dec

    Featured in:

    Companies that Marye Audet-White and Restless Chipotle have been affiliated with.

    Contact Marye

    • Contact

    My new blog for bread bakers:

    Love baking bread? Click here to check out my new blog!

    Logo for breadcrumbs in the butter blog.
    Check out my new blog!

    Copyright ©2006 - 2023 Restless Chipotle Media, LLC