Homemade Taco Seasoning

I've been wanting to make this for a really long time. I like that it's natural ingredients, no preservatives and a lot less processed. And it is AMAZINGLY delicious! I feel like the flavors pop a lot more when it's homemade than out of the pouch. I made mine and stored it in a mason jar as well. Have fun!

*Note: I quadruple the recipe and store it in an airtight container in my spice cabinet so I don’t have to assemble the mix each time I need taco seasoning. I also frequently sub in smoked paprika for the regular paprika to give it a different, well, smoky flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all spices together until well combined. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in your spice cabinet and use as needed.

*One pouch of taco seasoning is about 4 tablespoons

**A mason jar will hold 8x this recipe. Mel quadruples it... I did that twice. :)

*Recipe taken directly from MelsKitchenCafe.com

Taco Stuffed Shells

• I found this recipe on Closet Cooking - a guy named Kevin that cooks. awesome - and I really really wanted to try it bad, but never got around to it, until tonight. AND OH MY GOODNESS I WAS MISSING OUT AND SO ARE YOU, SO YOU BETTER TO GO THE STORE TO GET THESE INGREDIENTS AND MAKE IT NOW! I am not being dramatic. I am being serious. WOW! So. GOOD. I made these tonight for Pierce and myself and he still isn't home from work and I've already had seconds; it's really amazingly TASTY! Probably one of my favorite meals I've ever made. 

I added the recipe straight from Kevin's blog, but I'm going to add my two cents here and there and what I did. Enjoy! 

• 
  
• 1 tablespoon oil (I used Olive Oil)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning (I'm a fan of homemade taco seasoning... no preservatives, fresher, etc. Just store in a Mason Jar!)
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup corn
• 1 cup black beans
• 4 ounces goat cheese or cream cheese (I used cream cheese)
• hot sauce to taste (Just some random Hot Sauce in the Latin Food section)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup salsa (I added a little more, probably close to 2 cups because I used a 9x13 and 1 cup didn't cover it - Pace Salsa)
• 1 pound large pasta shells, cooked (Probably only needed half a pound, but I'm saving the extra noodles for another recipe)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (I wasn't going to use these, but then I decided to... AND YES, you should use them. The crunch is perfect!)
• 1 cup cheese, shredded (I always use more cheese. Who doesn't? I used about 1.5 to 2 cups of cheddar!)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the taco seasoning, tomato puree, corn, black beans and goat cheese and cook until the goat cheese/cream cheese has melted in, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Spread the salsa into a large baking dish (9x13), stuff the shells with the beef mixture and place them in the salsa.
8. Mix the butter into the bread crumbs and sprinkle onto the stuffed shells followed by the cheese.
9. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted and the bread crumbs turn golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

*I sprinkled my shells with cilantro after they were done cooking - maybe that's why I liked it so much, I'm a HUGE fan of cilantro. And I also sprinkled the top with lime/lemon juice! I served it with avocado slices and a salad. 

**Upon further observation aka inhalation... this meal is good, but GREAT with the lime juice and cilantro. (I must have been super hungry when I first started this post and scarfed down my first helping) :)

***THE END!