This Mexican Stuffed Shells recipe combines cheesy taco-seasoned beef stuffed in pasta shells, baked with enchilada sauce and gooey cheese. It's a comforting, easy Mexican dinner that’s always a hit-perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd!
If you love tacos and pasta, this one's for you! These taco stuffed shells are rich, creamy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor. Add your favorite toppings like sour cream, salsa, or guacamole to make it your own. It's the ultimate way to shake up Taco Tuesday and add a twist to your regular dinner rotation. Bonus: it can be prepped ahead for those busy weeknights or even frozen for later!
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Pasta Bake
- Quick and Easy– Minimal prep makes it a go-to weeknight dinner recipe.
- Tons of Flavor– It's like tacos combined with a cheesy pasta casserole. Pure comfort food.
- Make-Ahead Friendly– Prep up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Freezer-Friendly– Perfect for meal prepping or doubling the batch!
Ingredients for Cheesy Mexican Shells
See the printable recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions.
- Ground Beef– Or use ground turkey, chicken, or pork. This is the base for your taco stuffed shells.
- Taco Seasoning– Store-bought or try my homemade taco seasoning.
- Cream Cheese– Softened, full-fat for the creamiest filling.
- Jumbo Pasta Shells– Sometimes these can be hard to find in the grocery store. If needed, you can also use manicotti tubes.
- Red Enchilada Sauce– Adds bold, zesty flavor.
- Salsa– Use your favorite for extra flavor and texture.
- Cheddar Cheese & Mozzarella Cheese– Or try Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend.
- Toppings– Sour cream, guacamole, green onions, jalapeños, diced tomatoes… go wild!
Substitutions and Variations
- You can make this vegetarian by omitting the meat. Use quinoa, pinto beans, or black beans instead with the cream cheese.
- Meat– use ground chicken, pork, or sausage in place of the beef or turkey.
- Vegetables– add in some diced onions or bell peppers with the meat mixture.
- Bring the heat– jalapenos, diced green chiles, and hot sauce are all good additions to the meat mixture AND as toppings.
- You can use taco sauce in place of the enchilada sauce if desired.
Topping Ideas for Ground Beef Stuffed Shells
This is where it gets fun-turn this dish into a taco bar with topping options like:
- Sour Cream
- Salsa or Pico de Gallo
- Diced Avocados or Guacamole
- Black Olives
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jalapenos
- Chopped Cilantro
- Lime Wedges
- Shredded Lettuce
- Green Onions
How to Make Mexican Stuffed Shells
Step 1. Boil jumbo shells according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking.
Step 2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the taco seasoning.
Step 3. Stir in cream cheese until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and fully combined.
Step 4. In a bowl, mix together the enchilada sauce and salsa. Pour half of the sauce mixture into the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with the beef mixture and arrange them in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top.
Step 5. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with shredded cheese, and bake another 10 minutes until melty and bubbly.
Step 6. Serve with your favorite taco toppings!
What to Serve with Mexican Stuffed Shells
This Mexican pasta bake is hearty on its own, but if you want some sides to round out the meal, try:
- Restaurant Style Tableside Guacamole
- Mexican Corn Casserole
- Homemade Refried Beans
- Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
- Best Ever White Queso Dip
Storage Tips for Leftovers
Since these delicious Mexican stuffed shells are just as tasty reheated, here are some storage tips to ensure freshness.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze assembled (but unbaked) shells or leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Microwave in 30-second intervals or bake at 350°F until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Assemble the shells and cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. I like to use disposable foil pans-easy to freeze, bake, and toss!
No worries-manicotti tubes are a good substitute. They're not quite as easy to stuff, but they'll still taste amazing.
Yes! Swap the ground beef for black beans, pinto beans, or a quinoa mixture. You'll still get all those delicious Mexican flavors.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes You’ll Love
This Mexican stuffed shells recipe is cheesy, comforting, and packed with bold flavors. Whether you're looking for a fun spin on Taco Tuesday, a cozy weeknight dinner recipe, or an easy Mexican dinner to feed a hungry crew-this one's a winner. Be sure to rate the recipe below, pin it for later, and don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious family-friendly meals!
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Mexican Stuffed Shells Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz jumbo pasta shells
- 10 oz red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- sour cream, avocado, tomato, lettuce (optional as toppings)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta Shells - Boil jumbo shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Prepare Meat Filling - In a skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain fat, then stir in taco seasoning and cream cheese until combined.
- Mix the Sauce - In a bowl, combine enchilada sauce and salsa.
- Assemble the Dish - Pour half of the sauce into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Fill each shell with about 1 tablespoon of the beef mixture and place in the pan.
- Add Sauce and Bake - Pour remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Top with Cheese - Remove foil, sprinkle with shredded cheeses, and bake an additional 10 minutes until bubbly.
- Serve - Top with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze unbaked shells or leftovers for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Microwave or reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
- Sour cream
- Pico de gallo or salsa
- Diced avocados or guacamole
- Black olives
- Jalapeños
- Shredded lettuce
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Green onions
Nutrition
CB says
Approximately how many stuffed shells does this recipe make if you use the jumbo shells as directed?
Kristin Hayes says
If you stuff as directed, you should get about 25-28 stuffed shells and there should be around 33-35 shells in the box! Hope that helps!
LORNA CESSNA says
I didn’t have the shells, so I used macaroni and just combined the meat and sauce all together. It has a great flavor.
Kristin says
Great idea too! Glad you enjoyed!!
Patricia Toomey says
Can you freeze these recipes to eat latter. Thank
Kristin says
Pasta can be hit or miss refreezing it, but I have frozen this prior to baking it before and its been good! I haven’t tried cooking it and then freezing, but it should still be great!