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Southwestern Stuffed Pasta Shells

June 28, 2022 By Jessica Leave a Comment

Looking for a spin on traditional stuffed pasta shells? Try this southwestern version loaded with cheesy chicken, corn, and black beans!

Stuffed Pasta Shells

This dish works well for a crowd and can easily be doubled (or tripled) for a big group. Serve it up with some extra corn chips and a green salad for an ideal weeknight meal. Don’t miss some of my other Southwestern-inspired dishes like this popular Hatch Chile Mexican Street Corn Dip, these Meatball Stuffed Mexican Torta Sandwiches, my Grilled Corn With Cilantro Cowboy Butter, or my Cream Cheese Layered Taco Dip with Fiesta Ground Beef. 

Stuffed Pasta Shells

INGREDIENTS FOR SOUTHWEST STUFFED PASTA SHELLS:

Ya’ll know how much I love fusion recipes. Pasta… good. Cheesy… great! Nestled together with fiesta frills and enchilada sauce… GIMME!

  • Pasta Shells
  • Olive Oil
  • Red Onion
  • Jalapeños
  • Cream Cheese
  • Chicken Breasts
  • Frozen Corn
  • Black Beans
  • Chicken Stock
  • Shredded Mexican Cheese
  • Taco Seasoning
  • Salt
  • Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Corn Chips
  • Cilantro
  • Green Onion

Stuffed Pasta Shells

HOW TO MAKE SOUTHWEST STUFFED PASTA SHELLS:

These little pockets of yumminess come together in just 35 minutes and will quickly become a family favorite. 

  1. Cook pasta shells according to directions and set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add red onion and jalapeños. Cook 2-3 minutes until vegetables have softened.
  3. Add in cream cheese, shredded chicken, corn, black beans, and chicken stock and stir until cream cheese is fully melted. Mix in ½ cup shredded cheese, taco seasoning, and salt.
  4. Coat bottom of casserole dish with ½ cup of enchilada sauce.
  5. Take each shell and stuff with 2-3 tablespoons of chicken mixture and place in casserole dish, seam side up. Repeat with remaining shells.
  6. Top shells with remaining ½ cup of enchilada sauce.
  7. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of cheese and crushed corn chips on top.
  8. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  9. If desired, garnish with cilantro, green onion, and sliced jalapeños.

OTHER UNIQUE PASTA RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Cheesy Crab Rangoon Dip Stuffed Pasta 

BLT Pasta Salad with Fresh Herbs

Buffalo Chicken Baked Pasta 

Super Easy Peanut Sesame Noodles 

Stuffed Pasta Shells

Southwestern Stuffed Pasta Shells
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
35 mins
 
Looking for a spin on traditional stuffed pasta shells? Try this southwestern version loaded with cheesy chicken, corn, and black beans!
Serves: 8
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTA SHELLS:
  • 12 oz. Jumbo Pasta Shells
  • 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • ¼ cup Diced Red Onion
  • 2 Jalapeños, seeded and diced
  • ¼ cup Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1 lb. Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded
  • ⅔ cup Frozen Corn, thawed
  • ½ cup Black Beans, drained
  • 2-3 tbsp. Chicken Stock
  • 1 cup Shredded Mexican Cheese
  • 1 tbsp. Taco Seasoning
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 1 cup Red Enchilada Sauce
  • ½ cup Corn Chips, crushed
OPTIONAL GARNISH:
  • Fresh Cilantro, chopped
  • Green Onion, sliced
  • Fresh Jalapeños, sliced
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta shells according to directions and set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add red onion and jalapeños. Cook 2-3 minutes until vegetables have softened.
  3. Add in cream cheese, shredded chicken, corn, black beans, and chicken stock and stir until cream cheese is fully melted. Mix in ½ cup shredded cheese, taco seasoning, and salt.
  4. Coat bottom of casserole dish with ½ cup of enchilada sauce.
  5. Take each shell and stuff with 2-3 tablespoons of chicken mixture and place in casserole dish, seam side up. Repeat with remaining shells.
  6. Top shells with remaining ½ cup of enchilada sauce.
  7. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of cheese and crushed corn chips on top.
  8. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  9. If desired, garnish with cilantro, green onion, and sliced jalapeños.
3.5.3251

 

NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:

  • I prefer shredded chicken in this recipe, but if you’re a fan of ground beef, you could easily sub in 1 lb. of ground beef for the chicken, keeping everything else just as is!
  • If you like some added heat, double up on the jalapeños for that extra kick. Oh, and make sure to pile some on top after baking! Not a fan of spicy foods? Go ahead and sub the jalapeños with chopped green bell pepper! 
  • Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered, and consume within 2 days. To reheat: simply place them in a microwave-safe dish, sprinkle with a little water, cover, and warm for 2 – 3 minutes or until piping hot. Sometimes I like to top them with more cheese before heating up (Because extra cheese is never a bad idea!). 

Stuffed Pasta Shells


PIN THIS FOR LATER


Stuffed Pasta Shells

Filed Under: Chicken & Poultry, Main Dishes, Pasta

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