Mexican Stuffed Shells

Mexican stuffed shells start with jumbo shells stuffed with ground beef, Cheddar cheese, green chiles, and refried beans and topped with picante sauce.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 657 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 36 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
• 0.75 cup picante sauce

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Combine tomato sauce and picante sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook and stir until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Step 3

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well.

Step 4

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease. Add water and seasoning mix; simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Step 5

Stir refried beans, Cheddar cheese, and green chiles into beef; cook and stir until smooth and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Fill shells with beef mixture.

Step 6

Arrange stuffed shells side-by-side in the baking dish; top with remaining sauce. Cover dish with aluminum foil.

Step 7

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.