Beef and Bean Chili Stuffed Shells

It's no secret that I like to combine internationally-inspired recipes - lasagna made with corn tortillas and taco filling, sloppy joes stuffed into a calzone, angel hair "waffles", macaroni and cheese with rotisserie chicken. You get the point. And this dish is no different. I look my scrumptious chili and nestled it into tender pasta shells before topping the entire dish with a Mexican cheese blend. Italy meets Mexico meets Texas - in harmony.

Think this is gluttony? Think again, my chili recipe uses lean ground beef and a handful of other ingredients, including healthy beans. No high-fat ricotta-egg mixture stuffed into those shells. Not in this recipe. The cheese on top adds just enough flavor and texture without going overboard on fat and calories. This is a win-win dish for everyone.

About the beans: I used chili beans in this recipe because I like the sauce those beans are swimming in - it's a mild chili sauce with subtle hints of garlic and onion. But, it IS mild, so I added more seasonings to the beef...The flavors in this dish do not disappoint.

Want to prep ahead? The dish can be assembled up to 24 hours before baking. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Beef and Bean Chili Stuffed Shells

12 ounces jumbo pasta shells
1 pound lean ground beef
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1 cup tomato sauce, divided
15-ounce can chili beans, undrained
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the shells according to the package directions (I recommend adding salt to the boiling water). Drain and set aside (arrange on foil to prevent sticking).
Meanwhile, brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat from the pan. Add the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the spices are fragrant. Add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce and chili beans and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens (the liquid will reduce).
Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Spoon the beef mixture into the shells and arrange the shells, in a single layer, over the sauce in the baking dish. Top the shells with the cheese.
It will look like this:

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese melts.

Serves 4