Tex Mex Stuffed Shells

I’m not the biggest pasta fan, but I could eat these Tex Mex Stuffed Shells every day of the week (I actually ate then for 4 days in a row and g Instead of tomato sauce, we’re drowning these in salsa verde, and stuffing them with a creamy ground beef mix. Lots of flavour with minimal effort, these shells are easy enough to make on a weekday and eat for the rest of the week.

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Tex Mex Stuffed Shells

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 6-8 portions (25 stuffed shells)

INGREDIENTS

For the Shells

• 25 jumbo stuffed shells, cooked according to package directions (that was 10 minutes cooked in boiling salted water for me)

• 3 tbs olive oil

• 1 white onion, minced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbs taco seasoning

• salt (if needed only)

• 1 tbs honey (I used cinnamon infused honey)

• 1 brick cream cheese (250 g)

• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced

• 1 cup salsa verde, divided

• 1/3 cup water

• 2-3 cups grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese

For the Garnish

• Fresh diced tomato

• Fresh minced cilantro

• Fresh avocado

• Sour cream

• Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare the jumbo shells according to package directions. Add a small drop of oil to the shells and stir to coat the shells, then set aside. This is so that they don’t stick together before you use them.

2. Heat the oil in a pan or skillet over medium high heat, then when it’s hot, add the onion. Sauté for 3-5 minutes till translucent, then add the ground beef, minced garlic, taco seasoning and salt if using. Sauté another 5-7 minutes till starting to brown, then add the honey and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, stirring often.

3. Turn the heat to low and add the cream cheese. Stir until it melts, then turn the heat off and stir in the cilantro.

4. In the bottom of a baking dish, pour in 1/4 cup of the salsa verde. Spread to cover the base of the baking dish. Stuff the shells evenly with the ground beef mixture, and lay them in an even layer in the baking dish.

5. Pour the remaining salsa verde and the water over the shells, then cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven, take off the foil, and sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Garnish with toppings and serve.

NOTES

• You can use manicotti or cannelloni noodles instead of shells, but shells are easier to stuff

• You can use ground chicken or turkey instead of ground beef, just increase the amount of olive oil used by 2 tbs.

• You can use regular salsa instead of salsa verde, but salsa verde makes it more tangy.