Shells N Cheese Taco Casserole Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling it with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Stir in the diced tomatoes and chiles, hot water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes, then remove to a bowl (it will still be a little juicy).
• In the same pan over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the milk and cook until hot and bubbling. Add the processed cheese and cook, stirring, until melted. Do the same with the Cheddar jack. Pour in the cooked pasta, add the taco meat and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, thinning with a splash of milk if needed. Stir in the cilantro.
• Top each serving with some sour cream and salsa if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wrap a yardstick or ruler with aluminum foil and suspend it between two 28-ounce cans.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the shredded Cheddar on the baking sheet to form a circle 6 inches in diameter. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of cheese, making 2 circles. Bake the first batch until the cheese melts and turns light brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Using a spatula, transfer the cheese circles to the suspended yardstick and drape them over to form taco shells. Let them hang until firm, then carefully remove. Repeat with the remaining cheese.
• Fill the shells with your favorite taco fillings.

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Transfer to a bowl; cool. Chill for 1 hour., Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Gently toss with butter. Fill each shell with about 3 tablespoons of meat mixture. Place 12 half of shells in a freezer container. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. , To prepare remaining shells, spoon 1 cup salsa into a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Top with remaining stuffed shells and 1 cup taco sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with 1 cup each of cheeses and 1-1/2 cups chips. Bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with sour cream and onions. , Freeze option: To use frozen shells, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours (shells will be partially frozen). Spoon 1 cup salsa into a greased 9-in. square baking dish; top with shells and 1 cup taco sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover. Sprinkle with 1 cup each of cheeses and 1-1/2 cups chips; proceed as directed.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cook and stir ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease. Stir salsa, onion, mayonnaise, chili powder, and cumin into the beef. Remove from heat.
• Spread about half the ground beef mixture into the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Spread about half the tortilla chips in a layer atop the beef mixture. Layer about half of each of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses over the tortilla chip layer. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients, ending with Monterey Jack cheese. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is melted in the middle, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook beef, onion, bell pepper, chili flakes and garlic until beef is no longer pink; drain then season with seasoning salt and black pepper (or cayenne pepper).
• Stir in water, taco sauce, green chiles, half of the olives and taco seasoning mix (you can use 2 packages of seasoning mix if desired for this).
• Cook over low heat for about 6-8 minutes.
• Layer HALF of broken shells on bottom of greased 13x9 baking pan; cover with HALF of meat sauce, then sprinkle with 2 cups (or to taste) cheddar cheese.
• Repeat with remaining broken taco shells, meat sauce and then top with remaining cheese (to prevent the cheese from getting hard, you can sprinkle on the last 10 minutes before the end of baking time and return to oven until melted).
• Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly, and cheese is melted.
• After baking, sprinkle with remaining olives, tomatoes and green onions.
• **NOTE** I sometimes drizzle bottled salsa sauce (mild or spicy) on top of the ground beef and then on top before baking.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Cook ground beef and onions in a skillet over medium heat until beef is browned, 7 to 10 minutes; drain grease. Stir in water and taco seasoning; cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add refried beans, salsa, olives, and green chiles. Cook and stir over low heat until ingredients are warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Place half of the taco shells in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour in half of the ground beef mixture; sprinkle with half of the Cheddar cheese. Repeat with remaining taco shells, ground beef mixture, and Cheddar cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

Steps:

• In deep frying pan, cook beef (lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin), and onion til done. Drain grease.
• Stir in taco seasoning, picante sauce, water and stewed tomatoes. Break up tomatoes.
• Simmer at least 10 minutes til water has evaporated and sauce is thickened. Meanwhile, in saucepan; make shells and cheese according to package directions, using lowest time alotted for cooking of shells.
• Fold shells and cheese mixture into beef mixture.
• Pour into greased casserole dish.
• I used a 1 ½ quart glass baking dish just slightly smaller than my 13x9 one.
• Top evenly with shredded cheese.
• Sprinkle cheese with paprika. Sprinkle lightly with oregano using about 1/2 teaspoons.
• Bake in 350º oven, uncovered for 20 minutes, or til hot .
• Top each serving with shredded lettuce, more shredded cheese, sour cream, and sprinkle with black olives, chopped tomato and jalapeno rings if desired.

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine process cheese and milk; cook and stir over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in cottage cheese and soup., Drain pasta and add to cheese sauce; stir until coated. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with Mexican cheese blend. Toss bread crumbs with butter; sprinkle over the top. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately. Freeze option: Do not prepare bread crumbs until later. Cool unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Prepare bread crumbs as directed; sprinkle over top. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.