Tacos in Pasta Shells

I'm a little behind on posting recipes.  This one was made for dinner last week.  Wanted Mexican but didn't want to go the old stand-by Taco Salad route.  This one sounded interesting so thought I'd give it a try. I figured anything pasta has to be good :).  It was pretty good but a little more effort than I would have liked so probably wouldn't make the regular rotation.  Still looking for that perfect weeknight Mexican dinner!

Tacos in Pasta Shells
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Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 30 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr 
Yields: 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 18 jumbo pasta shells
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups salsa, divided
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips (omitted)
• 1 cup sour cream (used non-fat plain yogurt)
• onions, diced (optional)
• black olives, sliced (optional)
• tomatoes, diced (optional)
• jalepenos, sliced (optional)
• lettuce, sliced (optional)

Directions

1. In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add cream cheese, 1/2 cup salsa, salt and chili powder; mix and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss cooked shells in butter.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Pour about 1/2 cup of salsa into botom of 9x13 baking dish.  Fill shells with beef mixture and arrange in baking dish; pour remaining salsa over shells. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
5. Remove dish from oven and top with Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and tortilla chips; return dish to oven to cook for 15 minutes more.
6. Top with miscellaneous taco toppings and serve.

Source: Modified from All Recipes