Calling all pasta and taco lovers! Prepare to tantalize your taste buds with a culinary fusion that brings the best of both worlds: Shells N' Cheese Taco Casserole. This innovative dish is a delightful combination of two classic comfort foods, offering a harmonious blend of flavors and textures that will leave you craving more.
Get ready to embark on a flavor-packed journey as we explore the sensational recipes featured in this article. From the traditional Shells N' Cheese Casserole to its zesty Mexican-inspired cousin, the Taco Casserole, and the ultimate fusion of both worlds, the Shells N' Cheese Taco Casserole, each recipe promises a unique culinary experience.
In the Shells N' Cheese Casserole, tender pasta shells are enveloped in a creamy, cheesy sauce, resulting in a gooey, comforting dish that is perfect for a cozy night in. The Taco Casserole, on the other hand, tantalizes with its savory ground beef, seasoned with a blend of Mexican spices, and layered between crispy tortilla chips and melted cheese.
But the true star of this article is the Shells N' Cheese Taco Casserole, which ingeniously combines the best of both worlds. This recipe starts with a base of seasoned ground beef, layered with a layer of cooked pasta shells. A creamy cheese sauce is then poured over the pasta, followed by a layer of taco sauce and shredded cheese. The casserole is then baked until bubbly and golden brown, creating a delightful fusion of flavors and textures that will have you coming back for seconds.
Whether you're a fan of traditional comfort food or crave a spicy Mexican twist, this article has a recipe that will satisfy your cravings. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and let's dive into the world of Shells N' Cheese Taco Casserole!
CHICKEN TORTILLA DUMP DINNER
All your favorite Tex-Mex flavors in a comforting casserole that's fast and easy to throw together.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 55m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with the oil.
- Stir together the diced tomatoes with chiles, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin and salt in a large bowl. Add the black beans, frozen corn, chicken, tortilla wedges and half the cheese and stir to evenly distribute and moisten all of the ingredients. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish and spread into an even layer. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Remove the foil and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Continue to bake until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Top with dollops of sour cream and sprinkle with the red onion and cilantro. Serve hot.
TEX-MEX PANTRY CASSEROLE
This casserole uses basic pantry staples for a quick weeknight meal. Garnish with sour cream and sliced avocado.
Provided by thedailygourmet
Categories Main Dish Recipes Casserole Recipes Vegetable
Time 45m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef until browned and crumbly, about 6 minutes. Drain off any grease.
- Add butter and onion to the skillet. Saute until onion is softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in taco seasoning and pour in tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add broth, corn, black beans, Spanish rice mix, and salsa; mix well.
- Spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the beef mixture into the casserole dish. Top with Cheddar cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and filling is bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 411 calories, Carbohydrate 43.4 g, Cholesterol 58.7 mg, Fat 17.7 g, Fiber 6.7 g, Protein 20.8 g, SaturatedFat 8.4 g, Sodium 1776.3 mg, Sugar 7.2 g
TACO CASSEROLE
This Taco Casserole Recipe is loaded with all of your Mexican favorites and topped with Doritos, Fritos, or Tortilla Chips! It's easy to assemble days ahead of time and bake later for an easy dinner!
Provided by Stephanie
Categories Main Course
Time 40m
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Let the sour cream come to room temperature while you prepare the meat. This will prevent it from curdling when baked as it won't be going from cold to hot right away.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the ground beef and diced onions to a large pan and cook and crumble over medium heat until the meat is cooked through.
- Drain excess grease.
- Add ¾ cup water and taco seasoning.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
- Spread the refried beans in an even layer within a casserole dish. (Mine was 9 x 13" but varying sizes are fine.)
- Spread the sour cream over the refried beans.
- Top with cooked ground beef mixture, then with cheese.
- If you're preparing this head of time, let it cool and cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 547 kcal, Carbohydrate 24 g, Protein 28 g, Fat 38 g, SaturatedFat 18 g, Cholesterol 108 mg, Sodium 1273 mg, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 5 g, ServingSize 1 serving
SHELLS-N-CHEESE TACO CASSEROLE
Threw this all together last night and BOY was it good! I even remembered to write everything down as I went along, so now I can share it with all of you! Enjoy!
Provided by Wildflour
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 45m
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 21
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 767.6, Fat 44.2, SaturatedFat 23.9, Cholesterol 152.7, Sodium 1151.5, Carbohydrate 48.1, Fiber 2.5, Sugar 10.3, Protein 44.5
TACO BAKE CASSEROLE
This quick and easy taco bake will satisfy even the most picky eaters. You can modify it to add things you love. It's yummy and so easy to make! Top with tomatoes, lettuce, salsa or whatever you like on your Mexican food.
Provided by Cherie Burgett
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 52m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 11
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 360 calories, Carbohydrate 20.6 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Fat 21.3 g, Fiber 3.1 g, Protein 20.9 g, SaturatedFat 9.1 g, Sodium 790.6 mg, Sugar 2 g
TACO SHELLS AND CHEESE
Provided by Ree Drummond : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
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.
"PANTRY RAID" CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
I made this recipe up one night when I had no idea what to do with a pound and a half of chicken tenderloins. It came out so well that my husband and I finished off the leftovers the next day and we are not usually leftover eaters. I am gluten-free so I used gluten-free cornbread mix. You will definitely enjoy it!
Provided by mama411
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 1h
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.
- Mix tomato sauce, water, taco seasoning mix, and chili powder together in a saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown chicken tenderloins on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Pour tomato sauce mixture over the chicken, bring to a simmer, and cook over medium-low heat until chicken tenderloins are no longer pink inside, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl and shred; return shredded chicken to the sauce. Mix in black beans and cream cheese until thoroughly combined.
- Pour chicken mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with shredded Mexican cheese. Whisk corn bread mix, egg, and milk in a bowl, and spoon the batter over the chicken mix.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbling and the corn bread topping is browned and set, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 487 calories, Carbohydrate 45.9 g, Cholesterol 108.3 mg, Fat 19.8 g, Fiber 6.8 g, Protein 31.2 g, SaturatedFat 9.3 g, Sodium 1911.9 mg, Sugar 8.5 g
Tips:
- Choose the right pasta. Shells are the classic choice for this dish, but you can also use macaroni, penne, or any other short pasta shape.
- Use a flavorful cheese. A sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese will give your casserole a bold flavor. You can also use a combination of cheeses, such as cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Don't overcook the pasta. The pasta should be cooked al dente, or slightly firm to the bite. This will prevent it from becoming mushy in the casserole.
- Season the casserole well. Be sure to add plenty of salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the casserole. You can also add other spices, such as chili powder, cumin, or oregano.
- Top the casserole with a crunchy topping. A layer of crushed tortilla chips or bread crumbs will give your casserole a nice crispy texture.
Conclusion:
This Shells 'n' Cheese Taco Casserole is a quick and easy meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. It's also a great way to use up leftover taco meat. So next time you're looking for a hearty and satisfying casserole, give this recipe a try.
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