Ground Turkey Taco Stuffed Shells
Ground turkey taco stuffed shells are a mouthwatering Mexican-Italian fusion of tender jumbo shells stuffed to the brim with a lightly spicy taco filling, sprinkled with gooey cheese, and bathed in red enchilada sauce.
Servings: 5 servings of 5 shells
Equipment
- 11x13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 7 oz jumbo shells (about 25 shells)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced (or other colored bell pepper)
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 lb 93/7 lean ground turkey
- 1 batch homemade taco seasoning (below) (or sub store bought taco seasoning)
- 1 14.5 oz can fired roasted tomatoes plus liquid
- 1 15.25 oz can low sodium black or pinto beans, drained
- 1 c Mexican blend or cheddar cheese, shredded (or sub other cheese variety)
- 1 19 oz can red enchilada sauce
- optional toppings: avocado, sour cream or Greek yogurt, fresh cilantro or other herbs
Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large sauce pot of water to a boil. Cook the shells according to package directions (about 9 minutes). Drain and rinse under cold water to prevent further cooking. Set aside. Note: this recipe makes about 25 shells, so you'll only need to cook about 2/3 of the box.
- In a small bowl combine the taco seasoning ingredients. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Once warm, add the onion and bell pepper and saute 3 to 4 minutes, or until pepper just begins to soften. Transfer the pepper mixture to a small mixing bowl.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground turkey and brown. Once the turkey is cooked through, reduce to medium heat. Season with taco seasoning and toss well to coat.
- Add the fire roasted tomatoes, beans, and pepper mixture. Remove from heat. You might want to allow the filling to cool before stuffing the shells.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spoon ½ of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 11x13 inch pan. Carefully stuff the shells with the taco filling. You may have a little filling left over. Top the shells with the cheese and drizzle with the remaining enchilada sauce.
- Bake the shells covered with foil for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-12 minutes, or until hot. Remove from the oven and top with additional toppings, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Can I make this dish ahead of time - yes! Prepare the pasta and filling and stuff the shells. Then cover and refrigerate until you're ready to cook.
- How long are stuffed shells good for - stuffed shells can last up to 4 days in the refrigerator or for 2-3 months in the freezer.
- How do you keep stuffed shells from sticking together - once the shells are cooked, drain them and rinse them with cold water to keep them from sticking together. You can even keep them in cold water while you prepare the filling, but that's not always necessary.
- Is it better to freeze stuffed shells baked or unbaked - freeze stuffed shells UNBAKED. Cover them tightly with plastic wrap and then store in an airtight, freezer safe container for 2-3 months in the freezer. Cooked shells do not keep well in the freezer.