Stuffed Mexican Shells

I kept seeing different recipes for Stuffed Mexican Shells and thought I need to make some!  I couldn't find a recipe I totally liked so I combined a few recipes I had and came up with this!

You can find the jumbo shells at most stores, I prefer the Barilla ones.  Make sure to cook them for the whole 9 minutes, if you under cook them they can get tough.  The shells hold their shape well.

In one of the recipes it called for commercial hot sauce but that just didn't seem right so I used 2 cans of Rotel when I used a 9X13 pan and 1 rotel can if I did a 8X10 pan.  It really did the trick using the Rotel it gives it the hotness you need and adds great flavor!

There is another recipe that I have on here called Enchilada Casserole (it's a great recipe too) where you place tortilla chips at the bottom of the pan then the meat filling then you top it with cheese.  I basically used that filling for the shells because I have always loved it!

When you are baking these make sure you cover them with foil so that the edges of the pasta doesn't dry out.  You can take the foil off when you add the cheese the last 10 to 15 minutes if you would like to.

Chop onion and garlic

Saute onions, garlic then brown meat, season with some Lawry's Garlic salt

Once the meat is brown add cream of mushroom, green chilies, tomato paste and tomato sauce.

Cook meat mixture until it starts to boil

Jumbo Shells, boil according to the package then drain and set aside

Boil noodles while you are browning the meat.  Once they are done let them cool or run through cold water because they can be hard to handle when they are hot!!

Place Rotel at the bottom of pan, place noodles on top of the rotel then fill each shell with meat mixture about 2 tablespoons full to each shell.  Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes take out and cover each shell with cheese bake another 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly hot.

Just out of the oven

Two shells is plenty for most but some might want to eat 3 or 4 each.

Mexican Stuff Shells

1 cup chopped onions

1 clove garlic minced

2 T butter

2 lbs ground beef

Lawry's Garlic salt (with green lid) to taste

1 can mushroom soup

1 can (8oz) tomato sauce

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

1 can (4oz) peeled green chilies chopped

1 to 2 cans Rotel  ( use 2 for 9X13 and 1 for 8X10 pan)

1 to 2 cups of shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack Cheese

20  jumbo pasta shells (boil according to the package)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Sauté onion & garlic in melted butter on medium heat, add

ground beef and brown. Stir in soup, tomato sauce, tomato

paste, chilies add Lawry’s garlic salt (with green lid).  Cook on med heat until mixture comes to a boil.

Pour Rotel on the bottom of a 9X13 pan and place shells on top of Rotel open side up, stuff each shell with meat mixture   .  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes then take out of oven, remove foil and top each one with shredded cheese.  Bake for additional 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese has melted.