Taco Pasta Shells Recipe

Taco Pasta Shells Recipe Taco Pasta Shells Recipe photo by Taste of Home Rating 5

“Here's a kid-friendly dish so flavorful and fun, nobody is likely to guess that it's also lower in fat," says Anne Thomsen of Westchester, Ohio. "A great family supper for busy weeknights!”

This recipe is:

Healthy

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Taco Pasta Shells Recipe
  • Prep: 25 min. Bake: 25 min.
  • Yield: 6 Servings
25 25 50

Ingredients

  • 18 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
  • 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
  • 1 bottle (16 ounces) taco sauce, divided
  • 3 ounces fat-free cream cheese, cubed
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided
  • 20 baked tortilla chip scoops, coarsely crushed

Directions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink; drain. Add 1/2 cup taco sauce, cream cheese and chili powder; cook and stir until blended. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese blend.
  • Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons beef mixture. Arrange in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon remaining taco sauce over the top.
  • Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese blend. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with chips. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts 3 stuffed shells equals 384 calories, 13 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 665 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 33 g protein.

Originally published as Taco Pasta Shells in Light & Tasty December/January 2008, p21

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Reviews for Taco Pasta Shells

Taco Pasta Shells Recipe

Taco Pasta Shells

Tell us what you think of this recipe.
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(1-10) of 17 reviews

Reviewed on Jan. 21, 2013 by chandra_24

Easy and fun! The whole family enjoyed these a lot!

Reviewed on Dec. 19, 2012 by Jstreet88

Excellent recipe!! I love it and make it all the time now. My family loves its too

Reviewed on Jan. 13, 2012 by melissagossard

My kids love this!!

Reviewed on Oct. 25, 2011 by brookehally

It has great flavor and there is plenty of filling for the shells. I actually had enough filling for 20 shells and a little bit left over. My family loved it.

Reviewed on Oct. 12, 2011 by Kissypie09

I like to cook some onion with oil first then add the beef.

Reviewed on Aug. 30, 2011 by kengrants

They tasted pretty good, but it takes too much time to prepare. I didn't like having to stand there filling each shell and then you still have to bake it for another 30 mins. Also, the picture makes the shells look bigger than they really are. I think next time I'll lay lasagna noodles in the pan and just spread the beef mixture over top of those. That would make the whole process way faster! This recipe is just too time consuming and they're really not worth it.

Reviewed on Jan. 17, 2011 by tlewis5172

My Husband and son couldnt get enough made a 13x9pan and there is only 2 shells left wow what a great hit and a new edition will make this again.

Reviewed on Dec. 12, 2010 by thumbunny

I forgot to buy taco sauce, and used a jar of salsa instead, and I think it turned out great. I'm not sure what the cream cheese did for it. And we topped ours with a dollop of sour cream. My husband was pretty wow'ed!

Reviewed on Dec. 04, 2010 by bdrcollie2470

Way too much chili powder! Will definitely scale it down next time, but my husband LOVED it! The tortilla chips go great with everything.

Reviewed on Oct. 12, 2010 by Tanya1968

Delicious! I scaled this down to 2 servings for just me and my husband and it was a big hit. It was easy to prepare, had good flavor, and I especially like the fact that it is lower in fat. We had it last week and I am making it again tonight. This one is going into regular rotation!

 
 

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