Beef Stuffed Shells
Beef is stuffed inside large pasta shells topped with gooey cheese, and then baked to perfection. Make-ahead and it's freezer-friendly, meat stuffed shells without ricotta.
Yield
6 servingsPrep
30 minCook
60 minReady
90 minThis classic Italian-American meal features large pasta shells filled with a savory mixture of ground beef, mozzarella cheese, and various seasonings.
The shells are then stuffed with the tasty, cheesy beefy mixture, nestled in a rich and flavorful tomato sauce, and topped with a generous layer of melted cheese.
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pound |
ground beef
|
|
| 1 | large |
onions
chopped |
|
| 1 | clove |
garlic
chopped, to taste |
|
| 8 | ounces |
mozzarella cheese
shredded |
|
| ½ | cup |
bread crumbs
|
|
| 1 | large |
eggs
|
|
|
salt and black pepper
to taste |
*
|
||
|
parsley leaves
to taste |
*
|
||
|
oregano
to taste |
*
|
||
| 6 | ounces |
pasta shells, jumbo
about 18 shells, or more as needed depending on size of shells |
* |
| 16 | ounces |
spaghetti sauce
one jar |
|
| ½ | cup |
Parmesan cheese
grated |
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 453.6 | g |
ground beef
|
|
| 1 | large |
onions
chopped |
|
| 1 | clove |
garlic
chopped, to taste |
|
| 231.2 | ml/g |
mozzarella cheese
shredded |
|
| 118 | ml |
bread crumbs
|
|
| 1 | each |
eggs
|
|
| 1 | x |
salt and black pepper
to taste |
*
|
| 1 | x |
parsley leaves
to taste |
*
|
| 1 | x |
oregano
to taste |
*
|
| 173.4 | ml/g |
pasta shells, jumbo
about 18 shells, or more as needed depending on size of shells |
* |
| 462.4 | ml/g |
spaghetti sauce
one jar |
|
| 118 | ml |
Parmesan cheese
grated |
|
Directions
Heat a skillet over medium heat.
Add the mince (ground beef), onion and garlic.
Cook until the beef is browned and onions are softened and beginning to turn translucent.
Drain any accumulated fat and cool.
Cook shells in boiling water according to package directions (about 10 minutes), drain and rinse with cool water.
In a bowl, mix the meat mixture with mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs, egg and seasonings.
Line the bottom of a baking dish with about ¼ of the spaghetti sauce.
Stuff the shells with the meat mixture and place in dish on top of sauce.
Pour remaining sauce over the stuffed shells and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 375℉ (190℃) F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Freezing instructions
I have frozen this dish several times with success.
Use the foil pans for this or put foil in your baking dish before the sauce and assembling shells.
You can cook the shells then cool and freeze; thaw and reheat at 350℉ (180℃) F until heated through.
You can also freeze the stuffed shells before cooking, then thaw and cook as directed.
The only thing I have noticed when freezing is that you may need to add more sauce over the top.
