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Pasta shells stuffed with cheese-packed savory ground beef is the ultimate comfort dinner and it’s easy to make too!
Meat Stuffed Shells Are Easy And Tasty
Stuffed shells are always a crowd pleaser. They make a great buffet food at parties too.
It’s the one Italian-style dinner I thoroughly enjoy and I make these often. You can also fill them with cheese and here’s the Cheese Shells I make.
However, the cheese variety are not as easy to make as the meat stuffed shells. The shells stuffed with meat filling are actually very quick and easy to make.
Cheese Lovers Rejoice
This meat filling is packed with mozzarella cheese and any cheese lover will sure to be pleased!
I include some Parmesan or Romano in the meat mixture too. I prefer the Romano because it’s flavor is stronger so it gives the filling a bolder flavor than the milder Paremesan imparts.
For an even bolder cheese flavor, you could also add some grated Asiago. I have never tried that, but I absolutely love Asiago cheese so I just know this would be outstanding.
When It Comes To Sauce…
These shells are one dish where I make my own sauce. Of course, you can opt to make your favorite sauce or use a high-quality sauce from the jar if you prefer.
My Quick Chunky Tomato Sauce goes perfectly with these stuffed shells. This sauce has a great texture that pairs well here. It also comes together quickly–in 15 minutes! It would be good to make double the amount of the sauce if you have family members who like loads of sauce on their pasta. But even if you don’t, that sauce stores well because it’s a meat-free sauce and that makes it suitable to serve to vegans (if you do that is). I often have it on plain spaghetti as a hurry-up meal when I don’t feel like fussing.
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Meat & Cheese Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 24 large shells cooked per package directions, cooled
- 1 recipe Quick Chunky Tomato Sauce see NOTES
FILLING
- 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
- 8 oz mozzarella diced small (1/4-inch dice)
- 3/4 cups plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan -OR- Romano cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley -OR- 2 tbs dried parsley
- 2 tbsp milk
- Extra parmesan cheese for topping
- 1/2-1 cup shredded mozzarella for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour about 1/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl. Divide into 24 equal portions (should be about the size of a ping pong ball)
- Stuff the shells tightly with the portions of meat filling. Place the filled shells in the prepared pan.
- Top with remaining sauce, then sprinkle the extra parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 60-75 minutes.
Notes
If you make my sauce recipe, add an 8 oz can of tomato sauce, if desired, to extend sauce quantity.
Nutrition
Cheryl says
Do you brown the ground beef before you make the filling or do you stuff the shells with raw ground beef?
Judith Hanneman says
They are stuffed with raw meat Cheryl.
ddd says
thats what i was wondering. with the 60 to 75 minute cook time, it would seem like u wouldnt. but, i wouldnt want all that grease in there either. ???
Judith Hanneman says
There’s very little grease if you use lean ground beef. I may get about 1-2 tbs when I make this.
marie wright says
Can this be made in the slow cooker
Judith Hanneman says
Probably–but if you do, make sure to undercook the pasta slightly as it is likely to get mushy from the long cooking. Personally, I wouldn’t slow cook this. I’ve found that cheese–especially mozzarella–doesn’t fare well in the crock pot. What I’d do if I wanted to serve this for supper on a worknight is make it up on the weekend (or whenever you are off) then freeze it right in a freezer-to-oven baking dish. It’d probably take about 90 min. to cook from frozen. But you could probably make them ahead and just put them in the fridge–but I wouldn’t hold them that way for more than 2 days, 3 at most.
Judith Hanneman says
BTW Marie–they are WONDERFUL re-heated. I made them yesterday and am reheating them right now. So you could always cook them then freeze them for later use.
Melody says
Absolutely delicious!!
Judith Hanneman says
Thanks Melody!
Jo says
First time making stuffed shells …..so the meat is raw and stuff it in “uncooked pasta shell”as well?…
Judith Hanneman says
Yep..what I do is portion out the meat to the number of shells, which makes it quick and easy to assemble. As the meat cooks, it flavors the sauce and pasta. It’s yummy!
Ashley curtiss says
Do you cook the shells first
Judith Hanneman says
Yes, Ashley, but slightly undercook them; maybe boil about 8 minutes. They will finish cooking in the oven. Just make sure they are pliable enough to stuff and about 8 minutes should do it.