Taco Stuffed Shells
Seasoned beef, black beans, and ranch-style beans — and stuffing them into tender jumbo pasta shells. Then we drench everything in a quick homemade enchilada sauce and blanket it with melty cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 box jumbo shells
- 2 cups black beans
- 2 cups ranch style beans
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
TACO SEASONING
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
ENCHILADA SAUCE
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 cups water
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the jumbo shells according to package directions (do not overcook — they should still be firm enough to stuff). Drain and rinse with cool water. Set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, dice the onion and garlic. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic until the meat is browned and the onion is soft. Drain excess fat if needed.
- In a small bowl, mix all the taco seasoning ingredients. Add the drained black beans and ranch-style beans to the meat mixture, then stir in the taco seasoning. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Make the enchilada sauce: In a saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and chili powder, cooking for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the water, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, and salt. Simmer for 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Stuff each cooked shell generously with the meat and bean mixture. Arrange the stuffed shells in a large baking dish.
- Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the shells. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese generously on top.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven, garnish with sliced green onions, and serve hot.