Mexican Pasta Shells

This is a recipe that Husband's mother made... we just kinda made it our own...

Mexican Pasta Shells

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 can of black re-fried beans
1/2 block of fat-free cream cheese
2 c  low fat shredded cheese
1 small can of tomato sauce
(I like the big one, but I like sauce. )
Salsa 
(any kind- we used Medium Pace)
taco seasonings that you enjoy-
(we used a little bit of cumin, season all salt, celery salt, salt, red pepper flakes, tiny amounts of all spice, dried mustard)
1/2 small yellow onion- minced tiny tiny tiny or, if you're like me, pretty much mulched
2 tsp.(ish) minced garlic
1/2 box of Pasta Jumbo Shells
handful of crushed tortilla chips

Brown the beef with the minced garlic and onion.  Add your taco seasonings so that the meat has a taco-flavor to it.  Add a little bit of tomato sauce- until the meat is reddish.  Add re-fried black beans.  Mix together.  Add cream cheese- mix together.  Add a little bit of salsa, more tomato sauce.

Cook until "sticky".

As you cook the meat, be sure to have the noodles boiling.  <DO NOT OVER BOIL>.  Only boil until they are mostly done.  Rinse off in cool water so that you can actually touch noodles. 

When the taco filling is done, use spoon and spoon in 

(we used a medium spoon and filled them full- not stuffed and just had the right amount) 

 Place all filled shells in a 9x9 casserole dish.  Squish all filled noodles in. 

With the remaining tomato sauce, add more salsa to it- until it is as hot or as tomato-y as you like.  We liked it spicier-   Pour over noodles-  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Then add crushed tortilla chips on top.  If you wish to have more sauce, you can always open up another can and make it more soupy..

Don't forget to bake it in the oven at 350' until the cheese is all melty and gooey... 

serves well with cottage cheese, salad, or corn... or all 3 if you're feeling ambitious.