Beef Fiesta Shells Tex-Mex & Southwest

Ingredients

• 1 lb. 96% lean ground beef
• or - 1 package fully cooked ground beef or shredded beef
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1 small can chopped green chilies
• 1 cup grated, reduced fat, cheddar cheese
• 1 jar (12 ounces) picante sauce (mild or medium)
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 small can french fried onion rings, divided
• 18 large pasta shells (stuffable kind)

Instructions

Cook pasta shells according to directions. Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a bowl, combine tomato sauce, picante sauce and one cup of water. Set aside.

If using fully cooked ground beef, saute onions until soft. Add beef and continue as below, omiting salt and pepper.

Brown meat with onions, salt and pepper. Add green chilies, 1/2-cup of cheese, half a can of onion rings and ½ cup of prepared sauce.

Stuff shells with meat mixture. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining onion rings and cheese over the top. Bake for 5 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Tips from Our Cook

This recipe can be converted to a casserole by omitting the large pasta shells and replacing with a 12-ounce bag of medium-small pasta shells. Instead of stuffing shells, mix meat mixture with cooked small shells. Follow the rest of the original recipe.

Nutritional Information

Nutrition info: per serving, using 95% lean ground beef: Calories 341, Total Fat 10.6g, Saturated Fat 5g, Cholesterol 64 mg, Protein 27g, Carbohydrate 34g, Iron 4mg, Zinc 4mg, Sodium 926mg, Potassium 417mg, Calcium 154mg, Vitamin C 54mg, Vitamin A 131RE, Vitamin B12 2ug