Chicken Cream Cheese Taco Shells

It's Freezer Meal Friday here on the blog and I wanted to do a follow up post on the original recipe that we did called Taco Shells. This Chicken version is every bit as wonderful, and I adore the reaction I get from my family when I say, "Taco shells for dinner!" They never ask, what the taco shells will have with them, usually because it is the main course.

If your a vegetarian you may substitute tvp for chicken or chopped mushrooms.

Chicken Cream Taco Shells (yield 2 casseroles, 6 servings each!)

2 pounds lean chicken breast, chopped (or vegetarian equivalent)
2 envelopes taco seasoning (or 4T Steph's taco seasoning. I make my own)
1 package 8 oz low fat cream cheese
zest of 2 limes
24 cooked jumbo pasta shells (under cook by 2 minutes for freezer meals so they don't get soggy)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1T fajita seasoning

Additional ingredients for each casserole:
1 cup each, salsa and taco sauce (I love greeen salsa!--or homemade from my tomatoes)
1 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips (can use baked)
3 green onions, chopped

In an deep skillet, cook chicken over medium heat until no longer pink and drain. Add taco seasoning. Add Cream cheese and lime zest and stir until melted. Transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge 1 hour.
Cook the pasta according to package directions but lower cooking time by 2 minutes. Gently toss with butter and season with fajita seasoning. Fill each shell with about 3 T meat mixture. Place 12 shells in a non-aluminum freezer container You are making 2 casseroles. Repeat and put the remaining 12 in another casserole. Spoon half of salsa over one casserole and half over the other, repeat with the taco sauce. Do the same with the cheeses, tortilla chips (you may keep the tortilla chips separate if you want a crunchy topping and put them on just before you bake it) and onions. Freeze covered with plastic then foil, up to 3 months. To prepare. Defrost overnight in the fridge. Bake 350 degrees 35-40 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered. top with sour cream at service. It is possible to make one casserole now and one for the freezer! Just bake one and put one in the freezer for later!

To bake in a solar oven, uncovered bake 1 1/2 hours full sun if defrosted, 3-4 hours from frozen.

We like to drizzle our pasta with a little low fat blue cheese dressing when it's ready to eat. We're weird that way.

There you go.