stuffed shells...mexican style

Mexican food is a staple at our home. We have it AT LEAST once a week, sometimes more. I love it all... homemade Mexican, fake Mexican, authentic Mexican. So so good. When I came across this recipe for Mexican stuffed shells, I knew I had to try it. So I pinned it about a year ago on Pinterest and finally got around to trying it last night. (isn't that how it always goes when pinning? this is what always happens to me...)

this recipe was adapted from High Heels & Grills.

Mexican Stuffed Shells:

18 jumbo sized pasta shells
1lb. ground turkey (or ground beef)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
4oz. lite cream cheese
1 1/2 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
2 cups shredded Monterrey-jack cheese 

-fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil. 
-add shells and cook until al dente (tip: cook slightly less than package suggestion because shells will continue to cook in oven). When done, strain and run under cool water. 

-while shells cook, brown meat in skillet. 
-add taco seasoning according to package directions. I also added some chopped veggies (red pepper, onion, etc)
-add cream cheese and simmer until melted and mix together. 

-pour salsa into 9x13 pan. 
-scoop a spoonful of meat mixture into shell and place in pan. Repeat until all of the mixture is used. 

-spread taco sauce over shells, making sure to cover edges so they don't harden while baking. (I only used about a half a cup of taco sauce)
-cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. 
-sprinkle each shell with small amount of cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes)
-serve with sour cream, green onions, guacamole or your other favorite toppings. ENJOY!

other suggestion: add corn and black beans to meat mixture for more awesome flavor!

life lately...

It's been a LONG time since I have posted! And lots has happened. 

Anyone who lives in Michigan knows it was a long, cold and very very snowy winter. At times, it felt as if it would never end and we were going to be stuck in this cold mess forever. So there really wasn't much to update. We stayed inside because -20 wind chills is about 60 degrees too cold for me. Luke and I played, read books and patiently waited for daddy to come home every night. (thank goodness busy season is over!)

We were so sick of the cold and Rand was working so much that we decided to get out of town and head to warmer weather. My mom was also sick of the "polar vortex" so we planned a last minute trip to Florida. 

We must have been really desperate to want to ride for 20+ hours in a car with a toddler....

I was totally dreading the road trip, but to my surprise Luke was a champ! I packed lots of toys, games, books, snacks and the life-saving DVD player I borrowed from a friend at church and we were all set!  Look at how happy this kid is!

 We also stopped several times to allow him to stretch his legs and his favorite stop was at the Florida welcome center. Luke LOVED the 70 degree weather. I think he was a little confused to wake up and go from wearing a winter coat and boots to shorts and a t-shirt. 

The week ended up being rather cool and rainy (of course) but we were able to enjoy some time at the beach and Luke was VERY spoiled by his grammy. 

 

And while at the beach one day we met a little boy the EXACT same age as Luke! Oh, and they were from Michigan as well. RANDOM! Here they are playing nicely...

The weather around here is finally starting to (sort of) feel like spring, so we have been playing outside, going to the park and patiently waiting for summer. Luke is definitely an outdoors boy and loves to eat dirt. Yummy!

In other news...Luke is 18 months old today! Seriously, where did they year and a half go?!? And he is excited to announce that he will be a BIG BROTHER in October! (another reason why there haven't been many posts...I feel like CRAP!) HAPPY SPRING!