Mexican Stuffed Shells

I was finally able to cook a normal meal last night! My husband hasn't been eating anything but salads and Lean Cuisines since we got here so he could come in as much under his max weight as possible when he weighed in. To help him I've been eating the same as him, and sometimes it's difficult as hell! A couple nights ago I finally cracked and made him take me to Panda Express, our most favorite place to eat in the history of forever. I had to have it, did I feel bad about eating it in front of him? I probably should have but it tasted so good I didn't care. Plus he had a few bites so it's not like he didn't get to taste it. Well he finally weighed in yesterday so now I can finally start cooking in my new big kitchen. First on my list to try was this recipe for Mexican Stuffed Shells. I love Mexican food and I love pasta, but I had never thought of putting them together. It didn't seem right in my head but the husband said he wanted to try it so I figured I'd give it a go if the picky eater said it looked good! It turned out amazing, a definitely make again meal. It's super easy to prepare and just let your oven do the rest of the work! Here it is:

Mexican Stuffed Shells

What you'll need:

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

1/4 cup taco seasoning, 1 envelope

4 oz. cream cheese, cubed

12 Jumbo Pasta shells, cooked according to package instructions

1 cup salsa

1 cup taco sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Jack cheese

Optional Toppings:

1 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

1 cup sour cream

3 green onions, chopped

sliced olives

guacamole

sliced avocados

tomatoes

Preparation:

1. In a skillet brown meat over medium heat. Add taco seasoning and mix to combine. Add cubed cream cheese, cover and simmer so cream cheese can melt. Remove from heat and cool.

2. Fill cooked shells with about 1-2 T. of meat mixture. In a 9×13 glass baking dish pour salsa to coat the bottom of dish. Place filled taco shells on top then add taco sauce. Cover and bake @ 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and sprinkle cheese on top, return to oven for another 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with sour cream, and toppings of your choice.

Original recipe: http://saorganics.com/taco-stuffed-shells/