Enchilada Stuffed Shells

As I’ve mentioned before we are big fans of Mexican food at my house. Enchiladas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes and when I found this twist I knew I had to try it. It became an instant favorite especially of my mom. It’s pretty easy to make, uses common ingredients and isn’t terribly expensive because the bulk of the ingredients can be purchased on sale or be made from scratch. Another good point is it can be made ahead and frozen.

Enchilada Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

1 box jumbo pasta shells

1 to 1 -1/2 lbs. ground beef, turkey or chicken

1 onion, diced

1 or 2 garlic cloves, diced

salt, pepper, and garlic powder if not using fresh garlic

2 cups refried beans

2 10 ounce cans of red enchilada sauce, whatever spice level you desire

2 or 3 cups shredded cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta shells in boiling water until just tender. Drain, rinse and set aside. In a skillet over medium heat brown beef, onions, garlic and seasonings until meat is cooked thoroughly. Drain fat if needed. Add refried beans and cook until heated.

Stuff pasta shells with the meat and bean mixture. How many you end up with depends on how much filling you use per shell and how many shells don’t break. I got about 30 when I made them the last time. Divide between two baking dishes. Pour one can of enchilada sauce over each dish of shells and top with cheese using a cup to cup and a half per dish. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Freezing instructions:

You can either freeze the dish after topping with sauce and cheese or freeze the plain shells then add the sauce and cheese before baking. Thaw in refrigerator overnight or bake from frozen. Thawed cook time is 30-35 minutes, frozen shells 45-65 minutes.