Mexican Stuffed Shells

I've had these on my "to make" list for awhile now but for one reason or another I kept putting them off.  Well, I am really sorry that I did because these stuffed shells were absolutely amazing! Stuffed shells are one of my all time favorite foods-I love ricotta cheese and I love how you can put whatever you want in them-spinach, meats, any veggie you name it.  Matt, on the other hand is rather indifferent to most stuffed shells, but not these.  I knew I'd win him over with the Mexican style! These were really easy to prepare and were a nice change up from regular, expected stuffed shells (although like I said, I absolutely adore stuffed shells!)

I highly recommend that you make these! And for those of you out there who think this sounds like a weird combination of food-I have to say that the flavors really blend nicely together.  These automatically became a new favorite in our house!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning (about 7 teaspoons) or homemade (use slightly less for homemade) 3-4 ounces cream cheese (I used low fat)
14-15 jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated monterey jack or pepperjack cheese
3 scallions, diced
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

In a large skillet, cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Add the cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Mix well. Turn off the heat and set aside and cool completely.  

Meanwhile, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.

Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Pour taco sauce over the prepeared shells.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add grated cheeses and bake uncovered for an additional 10-15  minutes.  Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

Source: Very slightly adapted from The Way to His Heart, from  A Pinch of This & That and seen on Oishii and Jenna's Cooking Journey