Taco Stuffed Shells with Queso

When I can’t choose between Tex-Mex and Italian food this is my go to recipe. Next time try the one pot taco spaghetti. It’s another Tex-Mex-Italian mash-up that just works!

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🗝️ Key takeaways

• This easy, 30 minute dinner recipe can be assembled ahead of time.
• It’s a nice change for Taco Tuesday if you assemble it ahead of time.
• This is great for freezing unbaked for a future meal. Be sure to check out the instructions in the How to freeze section.

I love dinner recipes that allow me to throw them together one night and bake when needed. Once back-to-school hits they are an essential part of my life (and sanity).

This taco stuffed shells casserole is made with jumbo shell pasta stuffed with taco meat and covered in a creamy, homemade queso that brings it up to a serious comfort food level.

🧾 Ingredients

📖 Variations

Sometimes you don’t have all the ingredients. That’s ok – just improvise!

• If I’m in a big hurry I use LITTLE shell macaroni and just throw everything into one pan for a casserole instead of stuffing the big shells.
• Any ground meat is fine – venison, turkey, pork, chicken…
• Like it a little spicier? Add Rotel tomatoes with chiles to the ground beef.
• Use Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese instead of Cheddar.

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions (al dente) and drain. Cook beef in a large skillet and add taco seasoning mix following the instructions on the package. Mix in the chopped cilantro.
2. Stuff the ground beef mixture in the cooked shells. Place shells in a casserole dish.
3. Cover with queso then sprinkle cheese over the top.
4. Bake then drizzle with taco sauce and sprinkle with green onions before serving.

🥫 Storage

You can assemble this dish up to 2 days ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake it.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 4 days.

🌮 How to freeze taco stuffed shells

This recipe is perfect for freezer meals. Place in an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.

If I’m freezing this unbaked I’ll make it right in the casserole dish and then freeze it at step #13. I’ll cover it with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

The night before I’m ready to serve it I just take it out of the freezer and pop it into the refrigerator to thaw overnight.

Next day just bake as instructed!

💭 Tips

Expert Tip: Don’t add salt! The taco seasoning is salty (I suggest getting a low-sodium variety) and the queso is salty. If you salt the meat it will be WAY over salted.

• For easy stuffing use a cake decorating bag without an end in it. Fill it with the meat and squeeze it into the pasta.
• Sometimes I add RoTel tomatoes to the cooked ground been along with the taco seasoning.
• Use 90/10 lean ground beef or leaner – it keeps the casserole from being greasy and the seasoning adds plenty of flavor.
• You can substitute ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken, or ground venison for the beef in this recipe.
• While you’re browning the meat stir and break it up with a spatula so it’s in small pieces with no big lumps.
• Don’t overcook the pasta! It will fall apart when you try to stuff it.
• If you assemble this dish and freeze it be sure to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
• Don’t use the packaged shredded cheese. Shred it yourself from a block – the packaged shredded cheese has cellulose on it to keep it from clumping and it won’t melt as nicely as block cheese.
• Want to make this even easier? Use the small shells and make it into taco mac & cheese.
• Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese are good substitutes for the Cheddar.
• You can top with jalapeno peppers and other favorite taco toppings.
• I like to add a little sour cream or guacamole on top before serving.
• If you’re freezing the casserole be sure to label it and date it so you know what it is!

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Pasta is one of our favorite meals any day of the week! Sometimes EVERY day of the week! Check out my one pot philly cheesesteak pasta or chicken spaghetti!

Here are more of our family favorite casseroles.

🍽️ Serve with…

A crispy salad is about all you need to round out this taco pasta casserole. I like to serve garlic breadsticks if I have some on hand. Of course we love dessert around here so if I’m baking on the weekends it’s going to be this tangy lemon pudding bundt cake for dessert!

📞 The last word

I have always loved stuffed shells so when I realized I was out of taco shells late on a Taco Tuesday I had two choices-

1. Figure out an alternative to taco shells
2. Serve PB&J

I love pb&j sandwiches but not so much for dinner, so I hunted the pantry for a tortilla alternative and came up with some jumbo shells I was planning to make into a regular stuffed shells recipe later in the week.

We LOVED it! It instantly became a family favorite.

If I have leftover tortilla chips sometimes I crush them and bake them right on top. You’ll also want to check out this taco lasagna!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don’t forget that you can click on “add to collection” to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

First published July 20, 2021. Last updated August 12, 2023 for editorial improvements and more helpful tips.