Tacos in Pasta Shells

Last Friday Todd and I headed over to Josh and Christi's - if you have read my blog long, you will notice I mention those two a lot. Because we ♥ them.

Josh & Christi

Because Christi slaved over an amazing dinner the last time we were over, it was my turn to cook for them. I made one of my very favorite dishes - a recipe I found when I was 13 or 14 in one of my grandmother's magazines. It was the first meal I ever cooked for my family, the first dish I made for Todd (to show him that he should marry me because yes, I can cook - sometimes!) And since I have made it so many times, I also make it for friends because I can usually guarantee it won't be fed to the dog under the table. :)

Christi was so sweet to give me a shout-out on her blog and a few of her friends were curious about this funny titled recipe. For anyone interested, the recipe is below. These are yummy right out of the oven, but I personally love them best the next day. Enjoy!

Tacos in Pasta Shells:

Ingredients:

18 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 bottle (16 ounces) taco sauce, divided
3 ounces fat-free cream cheese, cubed
2 teaspoons chili powder (Add until you get the taste you want!)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
20 tortilla chips, coarsely crushed

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook beef until no longer pink; drain. Add 1/2 cup taco sauce, cream cheese and chili powder; cook and stir until blended. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons beef mixture. Arrange in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon remaining taco sauce over the top. Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese blend and tortilla chips. Bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.