Looking for a change from your normal “Taco Tuesday“? Check out these Creamy Taco Shells! It’s a quick 30-minute meal cooked all in one pan. Ground turkey, black beans, taco seasoning and whole-wheat shells combined to make a hearty, healthy, delicious weeknight dinner!
My mom flew over and visited me and my boys this last week. It was so nice because she was that extra pair of hands I never have. She helped me get organized and watched the boys so I could do the simple things, like dropping an older kid off to practice, without loading three others into the car. Now that she’s gone, it’s back to reality around here! Miss you mom!
Oh, I forgot to mention the four-layer red velvet cake she made for my son’s 9th Birthday. Oh my word. It is so good. Four layers, people. I die.
Speaking of Birthdays, my second oldest turned 9 years old on Sunday! I can’t believe it. Where does the time go? I remember so many details about the day he was born, it’s weird to think it’s been nine years already. He was definitely my fastest and easiest labor and he’s sort of been my easiest kid, too. (wink, wink 😉 He’s sweet, generous, loving, and funny. So much like his dad. Love that kid. Happy Birthday dude.
This meal is so easy! It’s cooked all in one pan and takes only 30 minutes from start to finish. My favorite kind of dinner! I made my own taco seasoning using THIS easy recipe. I find that making my own taco seasoning tastes better and saves money. I always have a jar made in my spice cabinet. You can omit the turkey if you want a meat-free dish. This recipe originally started from THIS old post of mine that I morphed to make it easier. My family really liked it and I’ll definitely be adding it to our dinner rotation!
Creamy Taco Shells
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large red onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 4 Tbsp. taco seasoning store-bought or homemade
- 1 28-oz can petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 14-oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 1 13.25-oz box whole grain medium shells (I used Barilla brand)
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 3 ounces light cream cheese
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in large saucepan. Add diced onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add in taco seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in tomatoes, black beans and water. Add in uncooked pasta. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Once pasta is cooked, add in cream cheese and sour cream. Stir until combined and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop into bowls and serve with avocado, cilantro, salsa, limes...you get the point! Enjoy!
Mom’s are the best gift ever aren’t they? Mine saves me all the time. Luckily she only lives 13 minutes from me…yes she clocked it once. That might mean she comes over WAY to much to rescue me! This dish looks awesome! And super easy which I always need more of!
These look delicious! Taco Tuesday seems like a great idea!
Love this Jen! This is a perfect quick weeknight meal and we head into the school madness! 🙂 Pinning and sharing on social media! 🙂
Krista @ joyfulhealthyeats
Hi Jen, this looks delicious! Happy birthday to your son!
Thanks for linking up to Saturday
Dishes at Call Me PMc ~Paula
Your recipe is wonderful, and thank you so much for sharing it with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are staying cool on this hot summers day, enjoy your weekend!
Miz Helen
I have to tell you – I made this last night and my non-veggie eating 3 year old son (actually he usually only eats things that are “beige”) knocked this meal out! I mean, LOVED it. In the rotation – and great for the entire family! Thank you! Tomorrow we are giving your easy pulled pork a try 🙂 Thanks for the recipes!
Yum! Love mixing Mexican & Italian dishes! Thanks for sharing at Sweet & Savory Saturdays #25!
~Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later!
http://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com
I would love to make this for dinner tomorrow night. Could you tell me how many servings this is? I am on weight watchers so will need to figure out points. Thanks!
AHHH!! I LOVE comments like this! Thanks for making my day! I am thrilled your 3 year old loved it! I hope you liked the pork just as much! XO!
Hi Valerie! Hmm…this is a good question. I’m going to have to say about 6 servings. I should probably start figuring out servings for my meals, huh? I hope this helps a little! And I hope you like it! 🙂
Hi Jen, this was a great dish!! Question for you, I would like to use less pasta, maybe only half the box (per hubby’s request), so do you think reducing the water to 2 cups would be ok? This was really good, really, really good, just too much pasta for his liking. Thanks!
Hi Ashley! I’m so happy you liked it! Yes, you should definitely be able to use less pasta with less water! I would say 1 1/2 – 2 cups water for half a box of pasta would work just fine. Thanks for the comment!