Southwest Shells

Sorry for the delay, things have been in a bit of turmoil at the Saucehold. You can read about things here, if you are so inclined.

This evening's supper was made from a recipe I got from a woman I worked with at the hospital. I forget where she got it, bit it is rather good. (And yes, purists, I know it's not authentic. Doesn't stop it from being fast and tasty.)

Southwestern Shells, Sorta

You'll need

1 pound (approximately) of your favorite Ground Beast or Ground Beast Substitute
1 brick of cream cheese (full, low, or no fat)
1 packet of taco seasoning (or your own blend of cumin, garlic, chili, etc)
1 jar salsa
1-2 cans tomatoes (diced plain, Southwest style, Rotel, whatever floats your boat)
Cheese (cheddar, Jack, Taco, fresco/blanco, it's flexible.)
Large or Jumbo pasta shells (though, in a pinch, you could use lasagna, or other pasta and make a casserole instead)


Boil the pasta till it's al dente. If it's a little underdone, don't panic. You can fix it. In the meantime, brown your ground beast. When it's cooked, add the taco seasoning (with the amount of water indicated on the packet) or your own blend, with about a half cup of water. Cook the seasonings and beast together for a few minutes, then remove from the heat. Cube the cream cheese, and add to the warm meaty mixture. Mix the meat and cream cheese until thoroughly combined. This will be the filling for your shells.

Once the shells are finished cooking, prep your pan by putting in 1/2 can or so of the tomatoes on the bottom. (If your shells are a little underdone, put 1 full can on the bottom, juice and all.) Fill your shells with the meat mixture and place them on the tomatoes. Once your pan is filled, top with the remaining tomatoes (add an extra can if you so desire) and/or salsa. (My family hates spice, so I top with plain tomatoes, and serve salsa on the side.)

Top the whole shebang with cheese, wrap in foil, and pop it into your oven (350) till it's bubbly. Take the foil off and let the cheese brown up some, and you're good to go.

Note: If you're cooking on the cheap, or are using up some beast from a larger package, feel free to stretch the meat mix with a can of black or pinto beans. None shall be the wiser, and it tastes good too. Just pop them in when you add the spice mix.

And a side note: The German Chocolate cake on the inside of the Baker's German Chocolate box is really, really freakin' good. My dad's favorite cake is GC, and I meant to make it for him for Father's Day, but was stuck working a double. So I whipped this up on Tuesday to rave reviews. The icing in particular is delicious. Just the right custardy feel to it. Mmmm.