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May 22, 2013

Recipe for Slow Cooker Cheesy Unstuffed Mexican Shells

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A creamy, cheesy Mexican pasta dish that is perfect for a large family.  
Recipe for Slow Cooker Cheesy Unstuffed Mexican Shells #easydinner #crockpotdinner #slowcookerrecipe

Makes 6 servings
Ideal slow cooker size 4-5 quart


1 lb ground turkey, ground beef or ground turkey (browned and drained of grease)
3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cups salsa (mild, medium, or hot)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, cut into cubes
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or whatever kind you like)
2 cups dry medium shells


1.  Combine meat, green pepper, salsa, cumin, chili powder, black beans, tomatoes, green chiles in slow cooker.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for about 4 hours.  Give a little stir and add in the cream cheese.  Cover and let the cream cheese melt a bit.
3.  While cream cheese is melting, boil the noodles and cook until al dente.  Drain off water and add to the slow cooker.  Fold the shells in and top with grated cheese.
4.  Turn to high and cook for about 10 minutes until cheese is melted.  Serve and enjoy!

Review:
This is an easy Mexican-style dish that can be catered to your families likes.  For example, I use mild salsa, ground turkey and whole wheat shells.  You can also switch up the beans to pinto, if that’s what you have on hand.  Leave out the green pepper if you have kids that are picky.  This can also be made into a casserole and baked in the oven.  Add cooked noodles to ingredients and pile into a 9×13 dish.  Top with grated cheese and cover with foil.  Cook at 350 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes.  3 1/2 stars.

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15 Comments Filed Under: All Recipes, Beef, Turkey, Pasta, Mexican, Slow Cooker Tagged With: 2-4 hours, 4-6 hours, 3 stars, All Posts

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Comments

  1. Tracey says

    June 12, 2020 at 4:12 pm

    The instructions do not say where or when to use the shredded cheese…

    Reply
    • Karen says

      June 15, 2020 at 11:20 am

      Hi it’s in step 3: Fold the shells in and top with grated cheese.

      Reply
  2. morticia says

    April 8, 2018 at 11:40 am

    hi I’m about to make this dish. can I use spaghetti sauce instead of salsa. I just cane back from store and forgot the salsa..

    Reply
    • Karen says

      April 8, 2018 at 3:24 pm

      Sure you can, it won’t be very Mexican-ish but who cares? It will be yummy.

      Reply
  3. Nicole Desrochers says

    November 6, 2015 at 1:59 pm

    If you do this as a casserole, do you still brown the ground meat first?

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      November 6, 2015 at 5:38 pm

      yes, brown it first. or else it will get grainy and weird.

      Reply
  4. [email protected] says

    December 12, 2013 at 3:34 am

    Melissa, so I haven't. I bet you could. I get nervous about pasta getting weird but you could give it a go. Maybe add in a little water with it?

    Reply
  5. Melissa Drake says

    December 10, 2013 at 4:00 am

    Have you ever tried this putting the noodles in uncooked, at the beginning?

    Reply
  6. [email protected] says

    September 12, 2013 at 9:13 pm

    Yay, Em! So glad to hear it.

    Reply
  7. Em says

    September 11, 2013 at 1:25 pm

    Thanks for sharing my husband & I loved it!

    Reply
  8. [email protected] says

    June 24, 2013 at 4:09 pm

    Greg,
    Yes it's fully cooked. It works!

    Reply
  9. Greg says

    June 21, 2013 at 8:06 pm

    Hi Karen,
    Are you cooking the meat fully before putting in the crock? It seems that would be over-cooked quite a bit?

    Reply
  10. [email protected] says

    May 23, 2013 at 3:46 am

    Lynda, no I used a crock…

    Reply
  11. Andrea says

    May 23, 2013 at 12:08 am

    Made this tonight for dinner and it was excellent! I used mini bow-tie pasta since I didn't have any shells, but that's the only change I made. Wonderful!

    Reply
  12. lynda thompson says

    May 22, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    I'm confused. Are you cooking without a crock?

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

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