Taco-filled Pasta Shells

I got this recipe out of my "Dinner on a Dime" cookbook. Frankly I do not not consider this dish to be inexpensive to make. After all ground beef these days runs at least $2.99 a pound even for the less then premium stuff. So bottom line. It was a good meal. Greg and I both liked it, not so much the kids, but you can't win them all. More about that later.



Taco-filled Shells



2 lbs. ground beef

2 envelopes taco seasoning

1 pkg (8 ounces) cream cheese

24 jumbo pasta shells

1/4 cup butter, melted



additional ingredients: (for each casserole, assuming you use 12 shells per casserole)



1 cup salsa

1 cup taco sauce

2 cups colby jack cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips

1 cup sour cream

3 green onions, chopped



1. in a dutch oven (or large pot) cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning, and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-10 min or until melted. transfer to a bowl and cool one hour.



2. cook pasta shells according to package directions. toss with butter. fill each shell with about 3 tablespoons of meat mixture. place 12 in a freezer container, cover and freeze for up to 3 months.



3. to prepare remaining shells, spoon salsa into a greased 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Top with the prepared shells and taco sauce. cover and bake at 350* for 30 minutes. uncover and sprinkle with cheese and chips. Bake 15 min more, or until heated through. Serve with sour cream and onions.



4. to use frozen shells: thaw in fridge for 24 hours. follow direction as in step 3.



yeild 2 casseroles (6 serving each)



*** okay so like I said, Greg and I loved it. The kids not so much. But that is fine, they ate leftovers and cleaned out the fridge (SCORE). I have a few words of advice. First, make sure the shells are completely cooked. Mine were a little under done, and I can safely say that this casserole does not have enough liquid to make up for any under doneness (is that a word?). I am also thinking that 2 shells may equal a serving for the original author, but that will make a pretty small serving for my family. I also think I am going to forgo the salsa and taco sauce next time and go for the canned enchilada sauce, it is just a thought. I also served mine with diced tomato and lettuce. anything in the taco family would be good with this dish.