Stuffed Shells Taco-Style (Easy)

I really do like stuffed shells, anything with pasta and sauce is pretty awesome! Oh and don't forget cheese! Cheese is so, well cheesy delicious! I won't deny them at my dinner table! This meal can easily be popular in my home and very easy to make to bring to a potluck, makes a great finger food.

Serves 4-6 quite nicely, if in a potluck setting, many more

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 6 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 18 jumbo pasta shells or whatever comes in an entire box
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup taco sauce
• 1 cup shredded Mexican 4-cheese
• 1 1/2 cups crushed Jalapeno flavored tortilla chips
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss cooked shells in butter. NOTE: I used a large bowl that has a snap on lid and gently shook the noodles to coat them with the melted butter.
2. In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain, if any grease. Add cream cheese, salt and chili powder; mix and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Fill shells with beef mixture and arrange in a 9x13 inch baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking; pour/drizzle taco sauce over shells. Cover with foil to prevent drying out and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
5. Remove dish from oven and top with Mexican 4-cheese blend cheese, green onions, and tortilla chips; return dish to oven to cook for 15 minutes more.
6. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on the side.

I boiled the entire box of noodles. If there was any leftovers, my family gobbled them up because you could run out of the meat mixture and still have some shells leftover.

Cooked ground beef with cream cheese and spices added in for the shell filling.

The large plastic bowl with lid that I used to shake the butter on the noodles with.

My little stuffed shells coming along.......

The 8 oz jar of taco sauce I used. Any taco sauce will do, this was the only one I could find in the store.

I drizzled the taco sauce over the shells stuffed with the meat/cream cheese mixture. You can do a little or a lot, you are in control.

Toppings.

Baked and ready to be served.