Mexican Stuffed Shells

Tacos and spaghetti are frequent dinners around here because they are kid friendly, fairly cheap and easy to make. I found this recipe online that combines the idea of tacos with spaghetti (just the pasta part of spaghetti). It really intrigued me, so I had to try it. It is really yummy, and it reheats well. An added bonus to this recipe is that you can freeze it. I will often double what I make to be able to throw an extra batch in the freezer. There is something very satisfying about not having to really "cook" on a super busy day. Throwing it in the oven for a little bit doesn't really count as cooking in my book!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

12-18 large pasta shells, cooked and drained
1 lb. ground beef
3 Tbsp taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups salsa, divided
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1- 15 oz can tomato sauce
3/4 tsp. chili powder
Brown ground beef. Add seasoning, water, onion, 1/2 cup salsa, and 1/4 cup cheese. Mix together remaining salsa, tomato sauce and chili powder. Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Fill each shell with a large spoon full of ground beef and place in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over top of the shells. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. * Bake at 350 ° for 30 minutes.

*At this point you could cover tightly and freeze. When you want to eat, defrost in freezer for at least one day and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

You can find the original recipe here,