Sassy Southwest Stuffed Shells

The recipe Sunday was sassy southwest stuffed shells — jumbo pasta shells filled with shredded chicken, beans, cheese, southwest seasoning, baked under enchilada sauce.

The recipe is below.

Sassy Southwest Stuffed Shells

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 20 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 (1-oz) packet taco seasoning
• 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel)
• 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese, divided
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 (15-oz) can enchilada sauce
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the shells. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook jumbo shells according to package directions until just al dente. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside on a sheet pan to prevent sticking.
2. Preheat oven. Set oven to 375°F. Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
3. Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles. Drain excess fat. Stir in taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water. Simmer 2–3 minutes until thickened.
4. Make the filling. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in black beans, diced tomatoes with green chiles, corn, cream cheese, sour cream, and 3/4 cup shredded cheese. Mix until cream cheese is melted and everything is well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Stuff the shells. Spoon a generous 2 tablespoons of filling into each cooked shell. Arrange stuffed shells in the prepared baking dish, open side up.
6. Top and bake. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more, until cheese is bubbly and golden.
7. Garnish and serve. Let cool 5 minutes. Top with sliced green onions and fresh cilantro before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 485 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 980mg