Baked Mexican Stuffed Shells with Creamy Green Chili Sauce
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Baked Mexican Stuffed Shells are covered in a spicy, creamy homemade green chili sauce. Made in under an hour, this dish is perfect for weeknight dinners!
On the blog, I like to use the phrase “this is seriously the best thing I’ve ever made” a lot! I realize that I can’t claim that everything I make is the best thing ever, so for this recipe I brought in reinforcements!
Both my roommate and a good friend ate this dish and said it was the best thing they’ve ever eaten. There you go, verified, best thing ever! 😉
I gave the traditional Italian dish, stuffed shells, a Mexican twist by stuffing them with taco seasoned ground beef, black beans and cheese.
Then I kicked it up a whole other level by covering them in a homemade creamy, spicy green chili sauce, then baking all the flavors together!
As you can see by this picture, the result was cheesy perfection!
Mexican Stuffed Shells Ingredients
- 6 oz jumbo shell pasta (app. 24 shells)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning (click link for homemade taco seasoning recipe)
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans (drained and rinsed)
- ¼ cup water or chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese (divided)
Creamy Green Chili Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ red onion (chopped)
- 1 serrano chili (seeded and chopped)
- 1 jalapeño (seeded and chopped)
- 15 oz chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 avocado (peeled, pitted and sliced)
- 2 limes (juiced)
- 8 oz chopped green chilies
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
Mexican Stuffed Shells Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To prepare the stuffed shells, begin by cooking the ground beef. Once the beef is cooked, drain any grease, then add the taco seasoning.
Add the can of black beans and water or chicken broth. Mix together, then cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
While the beef is soaking in all of the taco seasoning, boil a large pot of water and add the shells. Cook for 10-12 minutes or just before al dente.
Remove from the water and allow to cool.
Once the taco meat is ready, combine it with 1 cup of cheddar cheese in a large mixing bowl.
Mix together then spoon into the shells.
Creamy Green Chili Sauce Instructions
To prepare the sauce, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, jalapeño and Serrano chili.
Saute for 5-7 minutes. Add this and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor.
Blend until smooth.
Pour half the sauce into the bottom of an oven safe baking dish.
Place the shells on top with the opening of the shells facing up.
Pour the remaining sauce over the shells.
Sprinkle the additional ½ cup of cheddar cheese on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes (or until cheese is melted and bubbly).
Mouth watering amazingness is served!
Baked Mexican Stuffed Shells with Creamy Green Chili Sauce
Ingredients
Mexican Stuffed Shells
- 6 oz jumbo shell pasta, app. 24 shells
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
- ¼ cup water, or chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded - divided
Creamy Green Chili Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- 1 serrano chili, seeded and minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 15 oz chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
- 2 tbsp lime juice, fresh squeezed
- 8 oz can diced green chilies
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To prepare the stuffed shells, begin by cooking the ground beef.
- Once the beef is cooked, drain any grease, then add the taco seasoning.
- Next, add the can of black beans and water or chicken broth.
- Mix together, then cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
- While the beef is soaking in all of the taco seasoning, boil a large pot of water and add the shells. Cook for 10-12 minutes or just before al dente.
- Remove from the water and allow to cool.
- Once the taco meat is ready, combine it with 1 cup of cheddar cheese in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix together then spoon into the shells.
- To prepare the sauce, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
- Add the garlic, onions, jalapeño and serrano chili.
- Saute for 5-7 minutes.
- Add this and the rest of the sauce ingredients to a food processor.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour half the sauce into the bottom of an oven safe baking dish.
- Place the shells on top with the opening of the shells facing up.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the shells.
- Sprinkle the additional ½ cup of cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (or until cheese is melted and bubbly).
Notes
to make this recipe gluten-free.Nutrition Facts
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8 Comments on “Baked Mexican Stuffed Shells with Creamy Green Chili Sauce”
I made this again this evening. I have made this a few times. Sometimes with hamburger and sometimes with poached and shredded chicken. My kids love it. A rotisserie chicken would work too. The sauce is so good you can drink shots of it. Thank you!
Love to hear that! Thanks for sharing!
So this recipe is awesome. Easy to make and so flavorful. I did swap out hamburger for shredded chicken the rest was the same. The sauce you can drink from the blender (I can’t say I didn’t). This recipe can withstand more and different chiles too. This one goes in my favorites. Thanks Whitney. I will read your other recipes too!
Love the baking dish you use in some of your recipes, including this one. Where might someone find that style/size?
Hi Jed, It’s from Longaberger.
I’ve made this dish multiple times already for my hubby and I. I have made it exactly how the recipe states, and also with chicken. I cook the chicken in the crockpot for 6-8 hours on low with the taco seasoning and then shred it. Super yummy. I want to try making this for guests, however i’m afraid it might be a little too spicy for certain people. What do you suggest i cut back on in the sauce to make it more mild?
OMG it smells divine in here! i did not use the veggies as you stated and instead replaced with onion and garlic powder and backed off on the broth a bit. i can not wait for dinner it looks so yummy!
Making it your own is always a great option! Enjoy and let me know how it turns out after dinner 🙂