Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells

Put a spin on taco night with these Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells! Instead of tortillas, stuff seasoned taco meat into pasta shells and top it with plenty of melty cheese for a fun family dinner.

This Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!

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On any given night, there is a high likelihood that tacos are on the menu here in our house. There are so many fun variations and flavors for taco nights, and they’re a great way to use up random leftovers. But today, we’re putting a spin on those tacos. We’re leaving out the tortillas. Yup, that’s right. Tacos without tortillas. Instead, we’re going with…stuffed shells!

These Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells are a fun twist on Taco Tuesday. This recipe is a fun way to blend pasta night with taco night. And don’t be surprised if this meal earns a spot on your regular dinner menu rotation! This recipe features jumbo pasta shells filled with seasoned ground beef and topped with lots of melty Pepper Jack cheese. If you love tacos, then this will be a new favorite!

Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells

This fusion recipe takes a bit of prep time as you have to cook the taco meat and pasta shells separately before assembling. However, this recipe also lends itself well to meal prep as it can be assembled ahead of time and then baked at dinnertime. Let’s take a look at the ingredients:

Ingredients

For the Taco Meat

• Olive Oil, Red Onion and Garlic. Diced red onions and garlic get sauteed in a pan to create a base layer of flavor.
• Lean Ground Beef. 2 pounds of lean ground beef go in next. Ground turkey or ground chicken are great substitutions if desired.
• Chili Powder, Paprika, Ground Cumin, Ground Oregano, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper. These seasonings bring the classic flavors of American-style ground beef tacos. It’s easy to make taco seasoning using basic pantry spices, but feel free to use a premade taco spice mix instead.
• Taco Sauce and Chicken Broth. Once the meat is mostly cooked, add ½ jar of taco sauce and a bit of low-sodium chicken broth. This mixture simmers away while the pasta cooks.

For the Stuffed Shells

• Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese. The cheese plays a key role in this recipe! A bar of Cabot’s Pepper Jack Cheese does the trick. It melts smoothly, and it brings just a hint of spice that pairs perfectly with the seasoned taco meat. ½ of the cheese gets mixed into the taco meat, and the other ½ gets sprinkled on top while baking.
• Jumbo Pasta Shells. Shell-shaped pasta, called conchiglie in Italian, take the place of tortillas in this Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells recipe. Make sure to use jumbo shells as we’ll be stuffing taco meat into each shell. Once the shells have been cooked, rinse ’em in cold water to cool them off quickly. Then you can spoon the taco meat into each shell.
• Green Onions and Tomatoes. Send that casserole dish full of stuffed shells off to the oven for ~25 minutes, and dinner will be almost done! Before serving, garnish the top with diced green onions and chopped tomatoes.

Cabot Cheese

If you’ve been following this site for a while, then you know that we are huge Cabot fans here in our house! We always keep a variety of Cabot cheeses in the fridge for everything from afternoon snacking to evening cooking. This recipe calls for a block of Cabot’s Pepper Jack cheese – one (8-oz.) block of cheese will create ~2 cups of shredded cheese.

Cabot’s Pepper Jack has won a number of awards – and for good reason. It’s got the ultimate meltability of Cabot’s Monterey Jack cheese but with the added spice and heat from jalapeño peppers. It’s perfect for tacos and nachos! If you’ve got picky eaters in the house, consider using Cabot’s Monterey Jack cheese instead. It’s creamy and delicious with a milder flavor profile.

Cabot Creamery is a co-op with farms located across New York and New England. Back when we lived in New York, we made regular visits to a local Cabot farm. We now live down in the North Carolina mountains, but whenever we mention Cabot, we still get the same reaction: “Ohh…Cabot! We love their cheese!” If you haven’t tried their cheese, put it on the grocery list this week – and grab an extra bar of Pepper Jack to make these Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells!

Variations

This recipe is delicious as-is, but it also lends itself to fun variations.

• Instead of Taco Sauce, use Green Enchilada Sauce or Salsa Verde instead.
• Use Black Beans and Vegetable Broth in place of the ground beef for a vegetarian version.
• Add Corn, Diced Jalapenos and/or Canned Beans to the taco meat. (Keep in mind that you might need additional shells if you bulk up the taco meat mixture.)
• Add Guacamole or Sour Cream. Before serving, add a spoonful of guac and/or sour cream to the top.

Make Ahead of Time

These Cheesy Stuffed Taco Shells can easily be made ahead of time. Make the recipe as indicated below, but stop before it goes into the oven. Cover the casserole dish and refrigerate until it’s time to bake. (You’ll need to increase the baking time by ~10-15 minutes as the ingredients will be cold.)

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover stuffed taco shells store well in the refrigerator – in fact, the leftovers might be even better on Day #2! Just let the stuffed shells cool completely and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 325ºF oven (covered) for 10-15 minutes.

If you’re looking for a fun way to put a spin on Taco Night, then put these Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells on the menu. They’re a favorite around here – and I hope they become a favorite in your house, too! Cheers!

Did you make this Cheesy Stuffed Taco Shells recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me (@Spicedblog) and Cabot (@CabotCreamery) on Instagram – we’d love to see your version!

Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells

Put a spin on taco night with these Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells! Instead of tortillas, stuff seasoned taco meat into pasta shells and top it with plenty of melty cheese for a fun family dinner.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 456kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion diced
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 pounds lean ground beef can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken
• 1½ Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 16-oz bottle taco sauce, divided, can substitute salsa
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth
• 2 cups shredded Cabot Pepper Jack cheese divided
• 1 12-oz. box jumbo pasta shells
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• 1 Roma tomato diced

Instructions

• Using a large skillet, add olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add diced onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic, stir and continue sautéing for 1-2 more minutes.
• Add ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
• Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, onion powder, salt and black pepper; stir until well combined. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 more minutes, or until beef is mostly cooked through.
• Add 1 cup of taco sauce and broth; stir until well combined. Reduce heat to medium heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened noticeably.
• Remove skillet from heat and add 1 cup of shredded Pepper Jack cheese; stir until well combined. Set ground beef mixture aside.
• Meanwhile, boil pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray a 9”x13” casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread ~¼ cup of taco sauce into bottom of dish.
• Fill each pasta shell with ~2 Tablespoons of taco filling. Place filled shells in prepared baking dish.
• Drizzle remaining taco sauce on top of filled shells.
• Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
• Uncover dish, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top and continue baking for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese has fully melted.
• Garnish top of stuffed shells with chopped green onions and diced tomatoes before serving.

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